


Not Alone

by Lexiloo



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Alpha Karma, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Kidnapping, M/M, Plot Twist, Self Harm, Torture, abused nagisa, beta nagisa, depressed nagisa, help my gaybies pls, i think i tagged that right pls correct me if im wrong, protective and possessive karma, suicidal thoughts and attempts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-15 01:01:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 45,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13019970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexiloo/pseuds/Lexiloo
Summary: In a world where omegas are needed, many omegas and betas are being captured and sold off. Beta Nagisa is in for a horrifying surprise when he finds himself kidnapped. Alpha Karma, who finds out about this, rushes to save him. Will he be able to save his best friend and love interest, or will he lose him forever?





	1. The Kidnapping

**Author's Note:**

> I just recently watched Assassination Classroom and I gotta say, I really liked it! :3 and since I haven't seen many of these, I decided to try it out.

 

Sixteen year old Nagisa Shiota walked home from school with a sigh. It was another long day, full of Alphas being bullies, Betas trying to get around, and the few omegas who constantly stayed by a teacher. Nagisa was a beta. Much to his mother's disappointment. She wanted a girl, and when she didn't get that, she hoped for an omega son. She didn't get that either, and now, Nagisa is the subject of abuse from his own mother for disappointing her in not being the child she wanted.

When a baby is born, there's no way of telling what kind of person they'd be. At the tender age of 10, however, children are required to go to the doctor, get blood work done, and their results pop up. Typically, its females who are omegas. Omega males are extremely rare. The chances of ever having a male omega was 5%.

That didn't mean _all_ females were omegas. There was still a handful of Alpha and Beta girls. Such as Nagisa's best friend, Kaede Kayano.

Alphas and alphas, betas and betas, and omegas and omegas are hardly ever attracted to one another. In rare cases, they can be. But it was only a 10% chance.

Alphas were usually the ones betas and omegas seek for. Alphas were strong willed, bold, brave, and natural born leaders. Betas were more of the supporters, the "motherly" type ones. And omegas were treated like valuables. In the late 1800s, omegas were slaves. But as time went on, omegas became more and more rare, which lead to the Omega Act for Freedom in 1921. While some alphas still sneer down at omegas, they're usually treasured...

However, for the past few months, omegas started going missing. Never to be heard from. That's why omegas stay so close to authority figures, or stay with their alphas, if they had one. Most alphas try to protect their little omegas, and some just...don't care. It made Nagisa sick.

But what was more frightening was the fact, as of late, since it was so hard to snatch up an omega, _betas_ were starting to go missing. Nagisa wasn't sure how, but they were turned into omegas. When he first heard of this, he did as much research as possible, desperately trying to find out what hell betas go through.

Unfortunately, he'd only found theories. Even so, they were horrifying.

Scientists say that the only possible way they believe to turn a beta into an omega is through DNA injection drugs, which results in severe agonizing pain, described as "being torn apart from the inside". Some betas don't even survive. Nagisa knew he wasn't a good fighter, but he was great as escaping situations. This, however, was not a positive trait to him. His mother would scream at him for backing out of a fight, saying "if you were really a boy, you'd stand up for yourself! You're such a coward! You should have been born an omega!"

Small tears pricked Nagisa's eyes and he wiped them away with his sleeve. His phone then vibrated, startling him. He fumbled with it before opening it, a smile immediately gracing his feminine face when he saw who it was from.

 

_Karma_

_Hey, you up for spending the night at my place for the weekend?_

_Sent at: 3:48pm_

 

Nagisa wasted no time in replying.

 

_Nagisa_

_Sure! Mom won't be home until Tuesday anyway. Business trip._

_Sent at: 3:49pm_

 

_Karma_

_Do you want me to pick you up? I heard about the alphas kidnapping betas._

_Sent at: 3:52pm_

 

Nagisa blushed and smiled. Karma was an alpha, and a very good one at that. Sure, he was kinda sadistic, but he was very caring and protective of Nagisa, and not as much for others. Sure, if someone gets bullied, he beats the shit out of the bullies, but then he just ignores the victims. But whenever Nagisa is bullied, Karma's eyes seem to flash in rage and snap, his anger turning into genuine concern for him. Knowing all this made Nagisa's chest swell. This didn't mean Nagisa took advantage of him, he didn't want to burden his red haired friend too much.

 

_Nagisa_

_No thanks, I'll be ok. Your house is only afew blocks away, after all. As long as I leave before it gets dark, I should be fine, right?_

_Sent at: 3:53pm_

 

_Karma_

_...Right. I guess. If you're sure you'll be ok...I don't want to lose you, Nagisa._

_Sent at: 3:55pm_

 

_Nagisa_

_You're worried about me, you're turning into a sap ;)_

_Sent at: 3:56pm_

 

_Karma_

_Gross no. Bye Nagisa. See you in a couple hours._

_Sent at: 3:57pm_

 

_Nagisa_

_Seeya soon :)_

_Sent at: 3:58pm_

 

Nagisa flipped his phone back in his gray pants pocket with a smile on his face. His heart had pounded heavily when he saw Karma's concern for him. He felt so special, and inexplicably happy. He wasn't sure what exactly he felt for his junior high friend.

When he got home, he immediately went to change his uniform into gray sweat pants, a black shirt, and a green jacket. It was cold outside, after all. He packed his bag, with shirts, pants, and his basic toiletries. He zipped up his navy blue duffel back and looked around, briefly wondering if he should pack some snacks. Karma loved his strawberry tarts, and they didn't take too long to make.

Deciding to make some, Nagisa got out the ingredients and began baking.

After a solid forty five minutes, they were finished. He put his oven mitts on and took them out, setting the tray down on the counter. As he waited for them to cool off, Nagisa cleaned up his mess. He took out a tray and some foil, carefully placing the tarts down and wrapping them up.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and beamed, glancing at the time.

It was nearing 6pm. He had to go before it got too dark.

He heaved up his duffel bag and picked up his wrapped up tray, carefully opening the door and locking it behind him.

As he was walking, Nagisa got a rotten gut feeling. He bit his lower lip and decided to speed up. He subconsciously reached into his pocket for his knife and tensed up, realizing he probably left it in his other pair of pants.

_'Not good, not good, not good..!'_

"Look what we have here, boys. A little beta bitch."

Nagisa gasped and whirled around, seeing three very large alphas, each with a smirk on their face.

"She's a real cutie."

"I...I'm not a she! I'm a boy!" Nagisa said as boldly as he could. The alphas shared a look and burst out laughing.

"Who would've thought? You look like such a fuckable bitch I couldn't tell." Alpha 1 said.

Alpha 2 came up to him, giving a toothy smirk. Nagisa nearly gagged at the smell of his breath. It smelled of alcohol and smoke. "Whatcha got there, cutie?" he purred.

"It's none of your business!" Nagisa snapped, backing up.

"Oh, but it is," a new alpha caught him from behind, gripping his forearms rather painfully. "Stop! Let go!" Nagisa began to panic, unable to struggle out of his grip. His mind began racing for a plan, and without thinking, he slammed his head back directly on to the alpha's ribs. Alpha 4 let go with a pained hiss. "You little brat!" he snarled, holding onto his possibly fractured ribs.

Nagisa took this cue to run.

"Don't let him get away!" he heard Alpha 1 shout.

Multiple feet pounded after him. Nagisa panted, dropping his duffel bag and the tray, knowing the weight was just slowing him down. He sped up once he did. Faintly, he heard the crash of the tray, and realized it was broken.

 _'Mom is gonna be pissed when she finds out'_ he idly thought.

He was nearing the street where Karma lived, unfortunately, it was at the very end of the dead end street, and his lungs were burning and his legs were aching. His stamina wasn't very high.

Just as Nagisa was about to make the turn down the street, a large body tackled him to the ground, slamming down rather painfully on the sidewalk, leaving him winded, gasping for breath. The alpha got off and grabbed his ankles, dragging him back so no one would see him. He flipped him over and the other two alphas held his arms down while the one who tackled him held his legs down.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! KARMA!" Nagisa screamed.

"Shut him up for fucks sake!" Alpha 3 snapped.

Alpha 1 walked over calmly, eyes glinting. "You're a stubborn piece of shit. I like that. But I'm afraid you really pissed me off," not even a couple seconds later, he punched Nagisa. Nagisa felt pain flare up on his left eye. He trembled in fear.

"KARMAAAAA! HELP ME!! PLEASE!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Alpha 1 slammed his elbow onto his gut, making him gasp and cough. Alpha 1 held the knife to his throat. "If you yell one more fucking time, I'll slit your throat," he growled.

Nagisa gulped.

When they were sure Nagisa wouldn't struggle anymore, Alpha 1 took a cloth from his pocket, and slammed it onto Nagisa's face.

Nagisa began to struggle rapidly, trying his hardest not to breathe it in. Unfortunately, his lungs couldn't handle it, and he gasped. The smell of chloroform filled his nostrils as the alpha held it tightly against his nose. After a couple minutes of struggling, Nagisa felt light headed and dizzy, and let blackness take over him.

~

Karma looked at the clock for the umpteenth time. It was almost eight and he still hasn't shown up. He got up and walked out the door, hoping the blue haired small boy just fell asleep by accident or something.

But as he was walking, he smelled a...familiar scent. His brows furrowed and he sniffed the air again, suspiciously. Strawberries, he recognized. He dashed forward, running as fast as his long legs could carry him. He soon halted, his golden eyes widening in horror.

Nagisa's blue duffel bag and a tray laid on the ground, the tray was broken, and strawberry tarts laid on he concrete for the ants to eat them.

"No...no, no, no, no!" Karma ran to Nagisa's house, fist pounding on the door. "NAGISA?! NAGISA?!"

But there was no answer.


	2. Doom and Gloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma searches for Nagisa and thinks back to when they first met.  
> Nagisa wakes in an unfamiliar place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh guys! I'm so pumped about the love this is getting! :,D this is the fastest I've ever gotten more than 5 kudos in one day. So, as to not disappoint, I will update as often as I can!  
> If you've read my HxH fic "Saving x Them" and my YoI fic "Tiger Lily", updates will happen this month. I can't say for sure when, but do expect my stories to be updated.

 

Karma picked the lock quickly to Nagisa's home, barging in. "NAGISA?" he called, glancing in the kitchen, the bathroom, his room, everywhere. Karma staggered back, clenching his fists tightly.

"God...DAMMIT!" he punched the wall, feeling the wall open up from his fist. He felt frustrated, worried, and hopeless. Karma sank to his knees, glaring at the floor as if it was its fault his best friend went missing. No. Kidnapped. He just knew that's what happened. Nagisa had been on his way here but must have dropped his things in trying to escape. He couldn't fight. And he can't outrun alphas for very long.

_'Why didn't I just pick him up? I should have went with my gut instinct and done so! And now he's gone...this is all my fault...'_

Karma felt hot tears pricking at his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He got up and shook his head.

 _'I have to find him. I don't care how long it takes. Nagisa, I_ will _save you. Count on it. Just hang in there. And when I find you, I'll kill the bastards who kidnapped you. And if anyone else hurts you, I'll kill them too.'_ a new wave of anger and determination filled him. He took a deep breath and walked out, closing the door behind him and leaving, a thoughtful look on his face.

 _'Nagisa would have left before it got dark, so he probably left around 6pm.'_ he walked to where Nagisa's bag and tray were.  _'This is where he was attacked.'_ his golden eyes scanned the area.  _'Where could he have gone?'_

His mind went blank as he tried to figure it out.  _'If I were a kidnapper who was selling off betas, where would I go?'_

Without thinking, his feet carried him to an abandoned warehouse.

_'This would be a place I have in mind. I doubt I'd go here, but its worth a shot. Kidnappers usually go for places where no one else is around. This seems like the perfect place.'_

He walked to the entrance, silently opening the door and stepping in. It was silent. "Nagisa?" he called in a low tone. Karma closed the door behind him and walked around, searching every room in the warehouse.

"Dammit..." Karma hissed. "Where in the hell can they be? The omegas and betas captured have never been found before..." he froze, tensing up.

_'What if they moved countries?'_

He shook his head rapidly.  _'No. Not possible. They can't sneak in a beta through the airport, and this country is surrounded by water, and all ships have been cancelled due to weather complications over the sea. So there's that...but going to another state is still possible...'_ he massaged his temples in irritation.  _'Dammit, Nagisa...you should've let me help you. You're not a bother to me or anything.'_

And it was true. In general, Karma prefers to help others, and that's exactly how he befriended Nagisa.

-

_It was their second year of junior high when they met. Karma noticed crystal blue eyes staring at him from time to time, a small smile playing at their soft looking lips. He never quite knew why, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't bugging anyone._

_"Alright class, for this assignment, I'll assign you to pair up with partners. When I finish, go meet with your partner and get to work. Rio Nakamura and Toka Yada. Kaede Kayano and Yukiko Kanzaki..."_

_The teacher droned on, and on, pairing students up, until Karma heard his name being called._

_"Karma Akabane and Nagisa Shiota."_

_Nagisa? Who the hell was that? Karma wondered._

_"Alright everyone, go sit with your partners and begin working," their teacher sat down at his desk. Students walked around the class to get to their partner. Karma didn't move. Moments later, the same blue haired boy, whose hair fell slightly past his shoulders, stood by his desk. Karma blinked at him._

_"Um...hey...I'm Nagisa Shiota." he mumbled, playing with the yellow hem of his shirt._

_Karma stared at him._

_"K-Karma Akabane, right?"_

_The way he bit his lip was too adorable. He looked so small, so fragile. Karma nearly fell from his chair. Adorable? Where the hell did this come from?_

_"Yeah, no shit." he responded rudely. What gave this pipsqueak the right to make his heart pound?_

_Nagisa flinched, eyes downcast, and Karma immediately regretted his harsh tone. But he didn't stop. He couldn't._

_"You better not slow me down," Karma said arrogantly. Nagisa's eyes lifted back to them. "I'm okay at science, I'll do what I can," he said quietly._

_"Tch. Why did I have to have you as a partner? I'd rather have someone like Okuda."_

_Hurt flashed those blue eyes. Dammit, why did being rude hurt him so much? Maybe because he technically didn't do anything wrong? Yeah, that had to be it._

_Karma took a deep breath and forced a tight lipped smile. "So what topic do you think we should do?"_

_~_

_Weeks passed, and the two boys made improvement on their relationship. Karma was no longer rude, he never really felt the need, and Nagisa opened up a little bit more._

_However, over the past few weeks, Karma did notice something strange. Nagisa always came to class with bruises, and sometimes even cuts. He tried to ask what happened, but he'd only shrug it off and say he fell down the stairs. Karma knew bullshit when he heard it. He'd shoved a bully downstairs before and he didn't have that many bruises._

_As he was beginning to leave the school building to ditch the rest of the day, he heard a commotion going on from the side of the building. Raising an eyebrow, he walked over, his bag slung over his shoulder and hands in his pockets. When he rounded the corner, he froze._

_Three alphas were surrounding someone much smaller than them. Someone with blue hair. And Karma knew of only one person who had blue hair._

_When he saw the small beta male being kicked harshly in the ribs and slammed into the wall, he snapped._

_"What the fuck are you doing?" Karma demanded, marching over. He noticed the look of shock and horror on Nagisa's face, but decided to deal with that later._

_"A-Akabane! W-we were just putting Shiota in his place! He started it!" the alpha who kicked Nagisa stuttered. Karma glared at them. "That's a load of shit. He comes to class everyday with bruises. I never find him during lunch. You alpha assholes are just picking on a beta who's smaller and younger than you."_

_"But-!"_

_He never got to finish his sentence as Karma kicked his ribs the same way they'd kicked Nagisa's ribs. The guy fell back and Karma stomped on his ankle, whirling around and punching the second one in the face, making him fly back and choke on his own blood. The third one tried to run away, but Karma threw his bag, hitting him in the back of the head. He stormed over and put one foot on his back. "Now how does it feel to get beaten like that? I think you deserve more, but I think Nagisa needs tending to, so I'll be nice. But you better watch yourself. I will come back for you." he kicked him and picked his bag up, walking over to Nagisa, who had been watching with wide eyes._

_He kneeled down infront of him, grimacing. Nagisa's eye was a dark purple, his lower lip had been split open, and bruises littered across his face. "How you feeling, Nagisa?" he asked quietly._

_"Like hell," Nagisa croaked out._

_"You look like hell. How long has this been going on?" he questioned. Nagisa's eyes, much to Karma's surprise, filled with tears and began to fall down his pale face. "S-since l-last y-y-year," he hiccuped. Before Karma could answer, he threw himself at Karma, now sobbing uncontrollably._

_Karma wasn't exactly sure what to do, so he wrapped his arms around the small beta and held him closer, rubbing his back._

_'Nagisa, I swear I'll protect you.'_

_-_

Karma sighed. So much for that promise. He felt like a failure. As a friend, and an alpha. Alphas were supposed to protect betas and omegas. So why didn't he? He had a gut feeling that Nagisa was in trouble, yet he didn't do shit about it.

With one last glance around the warehouse, Karma left.

~

When Nagisa woke up, he was in an unfamiliar place, with no windows. He was in some sort of...cell? His arms were binded behind him, and with a start he realized he'd been tied up to a wooden pole, and that his shirt and jacket were gone. Everytime he struggled, he felt blisters digging into his skin. He winced at the pain and decided to just stay still. He can think of an escape plan, right?

Yeah, because he  _totally fucking knew_ where he was.

"Hey, Takaoka, he's awake!" a voice called. Nagisa blinked. Where had he heard that voice..?

...Oh. Right. This was the voice of one of his attackers.

"Good." A large man, both in size and weight, came into the cell with a smirk on his face. "You did well, boys. It took awhile, but with a face like this, it'll be worth it," he stopped infront of Nagisa, a large whip in his hands. His hand was brought up to Nagisa's face and he gripped it tightly, looking him over.

"Yes, this will do nicely. A beta boy who looks like a female, turning into an omega. I can't wait to see how much I'll get from you," the man, 'Takaoka', cackled as he let go. Nagisa did the one thing he could do.

He spat in Takaoka's eye.

Takaoka let a noise of surprise out, stumbling back and holding a hand over his eye.

"You piece of shit!" he raised the whip and hit Nagisa's bare side. He gasped at the sharp, stinging pain, feeling blood drip down. Takaoka whipped him again. And again. He came forward and grabbed Nagisa by the hair, looking dead into his eyes. "You listen here. If you try anything, we'll kill you."

"Go ahead!" Nagisa managed to snap out, despite Takaoka's eyes boring right into his soul. "It's not like I have any worth anyway!"

Takaoka blinked, then began to chuckle, which turned into full blown laughter. The alphas who kidnapped him watched with uncertainty clear in their eyes.

"That's right, kid. You are worthless. But don't worry. You'll be very worthy once you become an omega. I'll be shipping you off to another country, where omegas are used as different types of slaves," he chortled. He leaned over. " _Every_ type of slave is used." he pulled away, ripping the ponytails out of Nagisa's hair.

Fear rose up in Nagisa's chest. He wished he'd taken up Karma's offer to pick him up. Even if it did annoy Karma, at least he wouldn't be going through this.

"Hideki. The needle."

The alpha who'd knocked him out rushed off to go get the needle.

"Bunji, go prepare the table."

The second alpha ran.

"Atsuo and Mantaro, untie him and bring him to the lab."

The third alpha and the fourth one came up behind him and began untying him.

Nagisa felt the ropes gradually loosen before falling to the ground. Mantaro heaved him up over his shoulder and followed Takaoka out. Atsuo followed, and Nagisa saw something in his eyes. It was the same look that his teachers gave him when they heard about his situation with is mother.

Pity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another chapter! :D so, anyone else notice I tend to give memories of first meetings in my second chapters?


	3. Suffering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma contacts Kaede.  
> Nagisa is experimented on.  
> Atsuo decides to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I got more kudos. I was very bored today so, why not update again? Yall are lucky, I usually don't update this quickly. Anyway, quick warning: description of torture.

 

As it neared midnight, Karma dialed in Kaede's number, hoping she had an idea on where his beloved friend was. After four rings, a sleepy voice answered in a groggy voice.

_"Hello..?"_

"Kayano, I'm sorry for waking you, but I need help," Karma said urgently.

_"Hnng...it's 11:49, Karma, can't this wait until tomorrow?"_

"No!" Karma said sharply. "It has to be done as soon as possible!"

 _"What's wrong?"_ Kaede sounded more awake, alert at the harshness in Karma's tone.

"Nagisa's gone."

It went silent on the other end, so Karma continued. "He was coming over tonight, and when I was waiting for him, he was kidnapped. I'm very certain that the people kidnapping betas were the ones who took him. So I need your help. You're the only one I can ask, since you've acted in plays and some movies before, surely you've picked up on some detective-like stuff, right?"

_"...Well, yeah, kinda. But they always made it easy."_

"Kayano, I'm asking as a friend, please help me find him. If not for me, then for Nagisa," Karme pleaded. He heard Kaede sigh and then movement, presumably getting out of bed.

 _"I'll get ready. But you have to pick me up."_ she said sternly. Karma understood immediately, guilt wracking through his body. "Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes."

_"Okay."_

They both hung up. Karma fiddled with his phone and walked to Kaede's house.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at Kaede's house and knocked at the door.

A moment later, the door opened, and a small green haired girl looked at him. "Come in," she muttered, stepping aside. Karma walked in and turned to glance at her.

"Kaya-"

A moment later, a hand contacted with his cheek. He blinked in surprise. It didn't hurt, he just hadn't expected that.

Kaede glared at him, tears pricking her eyes. "How could you be so careless?! You knew about the beta's disappearance and yet you let him walk alone anyway! How could you let this happen?!"

Karma bit his tongue. He knew he deserved all of this, but it didn't mean he was happy about the scolding. Kaede had been friends with him since third year of junior high. Not as long as him, but that didn't change the fact they were best friends. And, if Karma hadn't known she was dating Kanzaki, he would have suspected she had a crush on him.

"Coward! Delinquent! Hypocrite! Uncaring asshole! Jerk!"

"Okay, I get it, I'm a fucking idiot," Karma snapped.

"Why...why did you let him walk alone..?" Kaede sniffed, allowing a tear fall down her face.

"I offered to pick him up, and he refused, if I picked him up-"

"Then this wouldn't have happened!" Kaede yelled.

"If I picked him up, he wouldn't talk to me after that. I made that mistake last year. The only difference is-"

"The difference is betas started going missing  _six months ago_!"

Karma grimaced. "I should have been more firm about it," his voice lowered, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, Kayano. I didn't want this to happen either. That's why I came to you. I knew you could help me better than anyone. But, please, forgive me..."

Kaede crossed her arms. She forgave him after seeing the hurtful and regretful look in his eyes. Nevertheless, she continued on. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Nagisa. Let me call Kanzaki, Nakamura, and Okuda. You can call Isogai and Maehara."

"Why-"

"There's always strength in numbers. Plus..." she looked away and grumbled. "If we do find him, I want there to be more alphas on our side. Kanzaki, Nakamura, and Isogai are alphas. Four alphas and three betas should be fine. Plus they're really good at finding people."

"...Alright. I'll go ahead and contact Isogai and Maehara," Karma said quietly.

Kaede let the corners of her mouth lift slightly. "For Nagisa."

"Right. For Nagisa."

~

As Nagisa was strapped down onto a table by his wrists and ankles, he struggled, feeling exposed, despite the fact they left his pants on. His thin body had next to no muscles, and had a couple whips on it. He struggled abit, trying not to show the fear he was feeling in his eyes. He refused to give the alphas and Takaoka the satisfaction. He had to show no fear, even if he was so terrified he felt light headed.

Takaoka came up to his side with a needle full of a weird bright yellow liquid. "You better survive this, brat. I could get a fortune off of you."

"And if I don't?" Nagisa challenged.

The smugness was wiped off his face, replaced by a look of sudden calmness, but Nagisa could see the anger in his eyes. "Then I'll cut you to tiny little pieces and send it to your mother."

Nagisa actually snorted. "As if she'd care."

Takaoka smirked. "Then I can send it to your red haired friend. What was his name again?" He pretended to think for a moment. "Ah, yes, that's right. Karma Akabane."

Nagisa stilled, heart sinking. "H-how did you-?"

"We've been eyeing you for awhile now, Nagisa. We know who all of your friends are. We know what strings to pull. If we sent you to him in pieces, he's sure to track us down, right?"

Nagisa didn't answer. He knew Takaoka was right. Karma would hunt him to the end of the earth to get revenge.

"And if he ever finds us, we'll kill him. And aim for your other friend. Kaede Kayano. And if we do, she'll either be sold off, or killed."

"Don't touch them! Any of them!" Nagisa finally shouted. Takaoka smirked. "Then you better live through this. Don't worry, this will only hurt for...what was it? Six hours?" he glanced at Hideki. Hideki shook his head. "Eight hours, sir."

"Right, right. Eight hours. Survive the pain eight hours a day, and when those eight hours are up, we'll see where you are."

Nagisa began to thrash around violently, he didn't want to be injected with that needle. He didn't want to become an omega. He was fine being a beta. He didn't want this...

Takaoka still managed to plunge the needle into Nagisa's arm, pushing down on the little handle to inject the mysterious liquid into him.

Once he was done, he plucked the needle out. For a minute, the only pain Nagisa felt was from the needle.

Then that moment was gone. An excruciating pain flared up his arm, to his chest and other arm, down his body and to his legs. He started to scream.

 _'It's too much! IT HURTS SO MUCH! KARMA!'_ he thought before his mind became muddled from the pain. He continued screaming until his throat felt raw and used. Even then he whimpered and sobbed uncontrollably. The pain only intensified from there, causing him to sob out. His bones felt like they were trying to shake their way out of his body, his blood was freezing like ice, his lungs burned and his heart increased rapidly. The muscles in his body throbbed and his head felt like it was splitting open. It felt like his brain could fall out any minute, even though, in the very back of his mind, he knew that wasn't happening. But thrashed against the holds, crying out and screaming. He didn't even feel how the holds squeezed at his wrists and ankles anymore, the pain going on inside his body was too much. It clouded his every thought, his every other sense. All he felt was the pain from the injection that Takaoka had.

Unbeknownst to him, Takaoka was cackling loudly. "How's it feel, you shitty brat?! Ahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he threw his head back. He loved seeing Nagisa in pain. Something about him simply pissed him off.

The other four alphas in the room shared an uncomfortable look. Atsuo was the most uncomfortable. He hated seeing people in pain. He was one of those alphas who never really picked on people, but he still went along with Takaoka's plan.

Takaoka continued laughing as Nagisa's screams slowly wore down, replaced by his eyes closing, tears falling down his face despite losing consciousness. Takaoka removed the holds. He knew Nagisa would be feeling the throbbing when he woke up. Well,  _if_ he woke up. He could tell the pain was bad for his little body. But if he did wake up, Takaoka would not hold back on the physical torture. He wanted this blue haired brat to feel every ounce of pain as possible.

~

Atsuo watched without turning away when Takaoka injected the needle into the small boy. He didn't turn away when the boy's eyes widened from the shock and pain, nor when he began thrashing around so much that the binds holding his wrists and ankles started to dig into his skin and make them bleed. He didn't turn away when Takaoka started laughing, much like a mad scientist who created a creature of destruction.

However, that didn't make it easy to watch. His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw all of this go down.

When Takaoka picked up the now unconscious blue haired boy, Hideki, Bunji, and Mantaro left the room to retreat to their own living quarters. Atsuo stood still for a moment before sneaking off to the bathroom, where a medicine kit was. He fumbled around with the stuff until he found the peroxide and some cotton balls. If Takaoka caught him helping the poor boy, he'd get murdered. He set the medicine kit back where he found it and shoved the items in his jacket pocket, glancing at the mirror to make sure they didn't stick out.

Deeming himself fine, he walked out, walking down the stairs to where Nagisa was being held. He saw Takaoka there, watching with a smug grin on his face.

"Sir, you look tired," he said with feigned concern.

Takaoka shrugged it off.

"You should probably get some sleep. I can watch over him. If he wakes up, I'll let you know right away."

"...Finally coming to your senses, huh?" Takaoka smirked and walked by him, ruffling his dark brown hair. "You were so scared when I snatched you and your friends up. And now, you're becoming a master of pain. If he wakes up, make him suffer for a little bit. Then come and get me."

And with that, Takaoka left the room, closing the door shut behind him, heading off to bed.

Atsuo waited for five minutes before sighing, taking the hair pin of a beta female they'd kidnapped four months ago. She'd worn many hair pins, and before she died, they all fell out. Atsuo kept them, in case he needed them for emergencies. And this was one of those emergencies.

He picked the lock with the hair pin and had the cage door open in no time. He shut it quietly behind him, cringing at the creak it made. He waited another five minutes, before walking over to Nagisa, who just laid on the ground, almost lifelessly. So Takaoka didn't feel the need to bind him up again, knowing the boy would be in too much pain to even move.

 _'He's probably in too much pain to even breathe,'_ Atsuo realized. He took the cotton balls and peroxide out of his pocket, pouring it on one of the cotton balls and lifted his wrist up. "Come on," he murmured, "if you lay here like that with these injuries, you'll get an infection. You're going through enough as it is."

He did the same thing to his other wrist, his sides where the whip marks were, then both his ankles. He winced at the blood the cotton balls had soaked up. He shifted Nagisa into a sitting position against the wall, so his injuries wouldn't be laying on the dirty ground.

He put the bloody cotton balls and the bottle of peroxide in his pocket. Before he could stand up to leave, however, crystal blue eyes slowly opened, a groan emitting from the boy. It took a moment for Nagisa to adjust, and once he did, he flinched upon seeing Atsuo infront of him.

"W-what the hell...are you doing here?" he gasped out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON T^T NAGISA MY SON I'M SORRY...  
> But...this is the first time I've /ever/ written any form of torture. Sure, I dabbled around in fights and hospital stuff. Feedback, please..? >.<


	4. For Nagisa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma and Kaede gather the others up.  
> Atsuo tells his story.  
> Takaoka checks Nagisa's DNA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My gosh this story is getting so much love I'm getting emotional *wipes away a tear* so I took afew days off from writing because of personal problems and I was gonna originally update "Saving x Them" but I just rewatched Nagisa vs Takaoka and decided to write this instead >.<

 

"I'm glad you all made it here safe," Kaede began as Isogai, Maehara, Kanzaki, Okuda, and Nakamura gathered around in her living room. "So, what happened? Is everything okay?" Nakamura questioned. Kaede shook her head. When she didn't speak up fast enough, Karma intervened.

"Nagisa's been kidnapped."

Isogai, Kanzaki, and Nakamura's faces hardened, while Maehara and Okuda tensed, sharing a scared glance.

"How did this happen?" Okuda asked softly.

Karma shot her a glare. He didn't want to explain it again, even thinking about it made him feel like a heartless monster. A heartless monster who let his best friend disappear...

"I let Nagisa walk by himself to my place," Karma admitted anyway. He owes them that much of an explanation. Especially if they're gonna be helping him get his beloved friend back.

"What? How could you do that?" Isogai gasped.

Maehara looked betrayed as he stepped closer to Isogai. If the situation wasn't go bad, Karma would be teasing them.

"It wasn't his fault," Kaede said quietly.

Karma's eyes snapped towards her. "Kayano, what the hell..?" he muttered. She fidgeted nervously. "Well, it is, but he didn't mean for it to happen...we need to forgive him and just find Nagisa before something bad happens. Who knows what they're doing to him?" she let out a soft sob. Kanzaki rubbed her shoulder in comfort, eyes sympathetic and sad. Karma looked down, his bangs shadowing his eyes. "We have to find him. I won't forgive myself if he gets sold off or killed. He's my best friend..."

It was silent, and for a moment, Karma was scared that they'd refuse, but, much to his great relief, Isogai threw an arm around his neck. "Yeah, man. We'll help you out," he said with a sad smile.

"After all, you're in love with him, aren't you? I couldn't let this happen to one of the cutest couples ever!" Nakamura slyly added.

Karma's face turned as red as his hair. "Shut up, Nakamura."

She laughed and flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Anyway, any plans? Any ideas?" Maehara asked. Okuda, who'd been silent through the entire conversation, raised her hand slightly. "Um...well, I can figure out where they went," she said quietly.

"What? How?" Maehara questioned.

"Well..." she blushed at the intensity of everyone's gazes. "I know how to...my dad was a cop at one point and when I got lost when I was younger he was able to track me down. He showed me how."

"Alright! Let's do it!" Isogai cheered, happy they have a start.

Nakamura grinned and threw her arm around Okuda. "I'm really glad we got someone smart on our side!" She ignored Karma's insulted glare. Kaede giggled as they all walked out her door. She locked it behind her and looked ahead with a small smile.

Karma lead the way to the area in which Nagisa was kidnapped, one hand in his pocket as he nibbled a fingernail on his other hand. It was a bad habit he picked up when he was nervous or in deep thought.

_'Hold on for a little while longer, Nagisa. We're coming for you.'_

~

"W-what the hell...are you doing here?"

"Sh-Shiota-"

"I asked...what are you doing here?" Nagisa's voice rose and it started cracking more. Atsuo put his hands up. "Hey, take it easy. You're gonna hurt yourself further," he said quietly. Nagisa glared at him. "As if you'd...care about that! You kidnapped me!"

Atsuo grimaced. "I lost my temper. I'm not used to betas thinking outside the box and actually attacking me back."

"That doesn't excuse the fact you kidnapped me!"

"You're right. It doesn't. And no amount of apologies from me will ever make up for the torment you're going through. I doubt my apologies even mean anything to you...but please, Nagisa Shiota, let me explain," he pleaded.

"I don't want to hear anything from yo- AGH!" he grimaced at the sharp pain in his side. He breathed heavily for a minute before glaring back up at him, pain evident in his eyes, despite his effort to hide it.

"Listen to me. I came down here to fix up your wounds, so you at least won't get an infection. I wasn't planning on telling you this, but, you need to know..." he licked his lips nervously. Nagisa kept quiet, so Atsuo took it as a sign to start.

"My name is Atsuo. Hideki, Bunji, Mantaro and I were best friends attending high school. We were just a group of third years ready to graduate. But then nine months ago, while we were walking home from a movie late at night, a white vehicle pulled up next to us. The driver was a large man. He looked friendly. Concerned, even. He asked us if we needed a ride. At first we were against it, and tried to leave. But he was too quick. He got out and told us, if we wanted to leave peacefully, we had to beat him in a fight. All of us against him. So we charged at him at the same time. He still beat all four of us. When he knocked us down and out, he just tossed Hideki, Bunji, and Mantaro in the back as if they were weightless. As if they were just cargo. I was dizzy, I was in pain, I wanted to run away and save my friends at the same time. I didn't know what to do. So I started to scream. I screamed until he knocked me unconscious."

Nagisa stared at him with wide eyes. Atsuo continued.

"When we woke up we were binded to a wooden pole, just like you were. He told us we can either get tortured to death, or to become his henchmen. Neither of us wanted to die, and he made becoming his henchmen sound nice. He offered a meal twice a day, our own bedrooms, bathrooms, everything we had at our own home, except we had a job to do whenever he saw fit. So, like the damn fools we were, we accepted his offer."

"And...then what?" Nagisa asked softly.

"For the next three months he told us to kidnap any omega we saw alone at night. Which, beings the town was peaceful at the time and normally no one was really out after dark, it was pretty simple. He gave us these pills that we have to take daily so we can tell the difference between alphas, betas, and omegas."

"So that's how you knew I was a beta..." Nagisa murmured.

Atsuo nodded. "Yes. And after a couple months, it was damn near impossible to find any omegas alone. So we consulted Takaoka for guidance. We hoped we could be released, since we couldn't do much else. But then he gave us the order to use betas. He had a theory on how to turn betas into omegas. So after finding a beta to be his test subject, we took him in. Of course, the first few betas we took didn't survive. We found out only a select few actually live through the injections. So the fact you're alive now is pretty amazing."

"But...why would he do this? What does he have to gain from all of this?" Nagisa asked desperately.

"You know omegas are damn near extinction right? There's only a couple hundred in this world now. And a good half of them live here. Takaoka figured if he could kidnap them and sell them to other countries, he can make serious money. But since its so hard to find omegas alone anymore, he took on betas, and with a theory able to turn them into omegas, he can still sell them for profit."

"But that's illegal!" Nagisa gasped.

"All of it is. I know one day he'll get what's coming to him. You know what they say, karma's a bitch."

Nagisa looked down. "And...why don't you just quit?" he asked quietly, "or refuse to do his cruel bidding?"

A moment of silence before Atsuo sighed. He stood up and stepped back, lifting his shirt. Nagisa gasped in horror.

There, stretched from his right chest going across his stomach to the left side, stopping at his waistline, was a horrifying scar. The scar as dark and stitched up and had bright red marks surrounding it.

"That's..!"

"He used a knife on me. If Hideki hadn't stitched me up, I would have died. He said he'll do it to all of them if I didn't comply. He used the same threats on the others."

"Oh my god..." Nagisa buried his face in his hands. "He's a monster."

"That, he is," Atsuo nodded grimly. "But I've had it. I'm done with this. I'm sick of being his puppet. I'm sick of doing his dirty work! But...I don't want to die. I have to pretend to be on his side before I can actually do anything. Otherwise we're all dead," he put his shirt back down and lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry in advance."

"Wha-?"

PUNCH.

Atsuo let his fist connect swiftly to Nagisa's cheek, making him cry out in shock and pain as he fell to the side from impact. "Sorry. Takaoka's orders. He probably won't really do anything to you now, but..."

"It's okay...I understand. Thank you, Atsuo. For helping me, I mean, not for punching me."

Atsuo smiled dryly at him. "I'll go get Takaoka. If he hurts you and leaves, I'll help you again. I promise, I'll get you out."

"But what about you? I mean, if I do get out. What will happen to you and the others?" Nagisa's brows furrowed in concern.

Atsuo hummed to himself before answering. "We'll be arrested. Rightfully so. We may be in prison for life. But if being in prison is the price to stop all this from happening, I don't have any regrets. I'm honestly okay with going to prison. I can't sleep at night knowing we're tearing people apart, ruining lives, all because I'm scared for my own. Please, Nagisa, don't think of me that way. I know its allot to ask of you, but please, think of me as the alpha who tried to help."

"How about I think of you as the alpha who kidnapped me and regretted it?"

"Fair enough."

Atsuo walked over to the cage door and opened it, stepping out and shutting it behind him before turning away. "Whatever I say infront of Takaoka, don't take it to heart."

"I know."

And Atsuo left to go get Takaoka.

~

Nagisa stays laying in the room with a sigh.

 _'I wonder if I'll ever get out...'_ his body throbbed like an echo of pain from his previous torture. He grimaced.  _'If only Atsuo gave me painkillers...I guess there's only so much he can do without Takaoka killing him and his friends. I should be grateful he's helping me in the first place.'_

He closed his eyes and tried to even out his breathing. His ribs made that a little bit difficult though.

_'Takaoka will get what's coming to him one day...what was it Atsuo said? Karma's a bitch?'_

_'...'_

_'Karma...'_

His thoughts travelled to his red haired friend. His heart ached, he wished he could run to Karma and hug him, cry into his chest, and just let Karma protect him like he always said he wanted to.

When Karma first found out about his mother's obsession of dressing him like a girl, he'd recoiled sharply. Nagisa nearly broke down in tears thinking Karma didn't want to be around such a disgusting crossdresser. But to his surprise, Karma had noticed his tears and pulled him to his chest, assuring him he'll always be there with a spare uniform if Nagisa was forced to dress in a girls uniform.

When he found out Nagisa was bullied, which had sparked their close friendship in the first place, Karma was always there. Either to fight the bullies if he made it on time, or to take care of the wounds Nagisa would receive.

He always offered to do things for Nagisa, which was why he rejected Karma's offer to pick him up in the first place.

And, if Karma even realized he was missing, Nagisa wasn't sure if he'd try to save him. He was a leech, after all. Clinging to Karma, relying on him, taking time off of everything he's doing...it made Nagisa feel terrible.

_'Maybe it'd better if I just died...'_

Before his thoughts traveled any further, Takaoka slammed the cage door open. He was alone. He probably sent Atsuo to his room.

In his hand was a needle and in the other was a small device that Nagisa didn't recognize. Takaoka kneeled next to him. "Hold still. I just need a little bit of blood." he put the needle into Nagisa's arm and after a moment, when he got a sufficient amount of blood, he took it out, squirting it on a certain part of the device.

Minutes passed before it beeped.

Takaoka looked at it and nearly dropped it. "WHAT THE HELL?!" he screamed, whirling around and glaring at Nagisa in an insane sort of way. "HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL A BETA?! NO BETA HAS EVER OVERCOME THIS!"

Nagisa blinked, then slowly allowed a smirk to cross his face. "I guess I should thank my mother for her cruelty. You see, I was born the child she did not want. And in result, she often gave me drugs to help fight. Similar to steroids, but, not quite the same. And, she also trained me to be immune to poisons and other drugs. This drug you have, Takaoka, to turn me into an omega, won't work. You can't sell me off," for the first time, Nagisa looked Takaoka in the eyes with a calm, confident, and even slightly amused look on his face. "And you can't do anything about it."

"YOU DAMN BRAT! I'LL MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF YOU FOR DISRESPECTING ME!" he stood up and kicked his ribs harshly. He whipped a knife out and hit Nagisa's head with the hilt of the knife. Nagisa panted and wheezed.

"When I'm done with you, I'll get your friends! NOW DIE!"

And he brought the knife down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shhh I like the idea of Nagisa being immune to poisons and drugs, it just makes it feel like he's more of an assassin, to make up for his lack of fighting skills, yanno?


	5. Fight Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma and the others split up.  
> Nagisa tries to fight Takaoka.  
> Atsuo and his friends discuss things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HI HI I'M SUPER HAPPY YOU GUYS <3 <3 <3 THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT IT REALLY HONESTLY MAKES ME SMILE WHEN I SEE THE KUDOS AND COMMENTS!!! :D  
> Also! I just got back from my little sisters spelling bee competition! Out of 46 kids, she got 4th! I'm so proud of her!  
> So! In the spirit of being super dee duper happy, LET'S GET RID OF THAT CLIFFHANGER, YEAH?

 

"This is where he was attacked," Karma said when they got to their destination. Okuda pursed her lips and got on her knees, looking at the roads around carefully. Karma, Kaede, Nakamura, Kanzaki, Isogai, and Maehara watched anxiously as her mind whirled. A moment later, she stood up with a frown. "I see faint wheel tracks heading that way. I'm guessing it's gonna be on the east side of town." she said.

"So, do you have any ideas?" Maehara asked.

Okuda nodded. "Yes. I can think of three possible places if it was around here."

"Well, what are they?"

She held up one finger. "First, there's an underground lab. Right below the mental institution," she held up a second finger. "Second, on the mountain, there's an old building there. I think it used to be like a preschool or something," she held up one more finger. "And the last place is just outside of town. It's a high security abandoned house."

"Hold on, why would it have high security if it's abandoned?" Kaede cut in, looking confused.

Okuda smiled grimly. "Exactly."

Karma sighed. "So we have three possible places. And if he's not in any of them? What then?" he challenged. Okuda's brows furrowed. "Then I'll think of more places. For now, we should split up."

"Right. Isogai, Okuda, and Maehara, check the underground lab. Nakamura and Kanzaki, check the mountain. Kayano and I will head to the place outside of town," Karma instructed, which they each agreed on.

"Good. Now let's go find Nagisa."

"Hey, Karma?" Nakamura spoke up.

"Hm?"

"If you do find him, text us. We'll all meet up. Same goes for us to you," she said seriously. Karma waved her off. "I already know. Now go, before it's too late."

"It might already be too late," Nakamura grumbled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Karma glared at her as she and Kanzaki left.

"Well, it's just you and me now, Karma!" Kaede said with an awkward smile. She hoped she could calm the redhead down. She knew he was still torn up about the entire ordeal. Who wouldn't be? Karma looked at her emotionlessly. "Yeah. Just us."

"Hey, don't worry. We'll find him, alive and kicking. I mean, it's Nagisa we're talking about! No way would he die on us!" she enthused. Karma cracked a small smile. "Yeah. Let's hurry though. He may need our help," he broke into a sprint.

Kaede made a noise of shock. "H-hey! Wait for me!" she called, stumbling after him.

~

Takaoka brought his knife down. From the ground, Nagisa saw this movement. He rolled to the side, the knife stabbed the ground where his head was just seconds ago. He stumbled up, hissing in pain and nearly sunk to his knees. His entire body was still sore and throbbing in pain from the drug. This was gonna effect him big time. Clumsily, he dodged, left and right, right and left, duck, right, left again.

"You damn brat!" Takaoka began to grow more and more pissed. Nagisa was hurt, he shouldn't be able to dodge his attacks so well.

_'He's swinging too blindly to get another hit in. If he calmed down, I'd be in deep trouble for sure,'_ Nagisa thought as he jumped back. His body screamed at him, and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep the pain away. But unfortunately, he knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon.

Takaoka lunged forward, thrusting his knife at Nagisa's right. Nagisa dodged.  _'Crap! That was way too close!'_ he thought. Before he could process anything else, Takaoka's large fist connected with his gut. Nagisa gasped out in shock and pain, flying back and slamming into the wall. He coughed. Takaoka smirked. "Finally. Now hold still, or I'll kill you."

"Yeah, because you were just pretending to be trying to kill me earlier, you just wanted some tea and cookies," Nagisa said sarcastically. Takaoka's face twisted into fury and he shot his knife forward. Nagisa dashed to the side, the knife missed where Takaoka was aiming; his heart. Instead, the knife dug deep into Nagisa's shoulder. He screamed out. Takaoka laughed.

"Yes! That's it! I wanna hear that scream! I want to see your face morph into all the pain and agony you deserve!" he yelled as he yanked the knife out, watching dark red blood drop down the blade to the hilt and on to the floor.

"What...did I...ever do...to you?" Nagisa rasped, gripping his rapidly bleeding shoulder. Takaoka leaned in. "Listen kid. I was paid to get you. That, plus the money I would have gotten for selling you, I could live in the most expensive place in the whole damn country."

"Who paid you..?!"

"None of your damn business. But let's just say they had lots of bad things to say about you."

"Was it..." he grimaced in pain. "The Asano family?"

"Hmm. Maybe. I'd say you'd have to ask them yourself, but a corpse can't walk and talk!" he punched Nagisa square in the face. Again, he fell back, still clutching his shoulder desperately. He stepped back and roundhouse kicked Nagisa's untouched cheek. Nagisa fell to the side, his arm that was gripping his shoulder smashed against the dirty ground. He made a wail of pain. It still wasn't as bad as the drug from earlier, but holy hell he wanted it all to stop. He couldn't move as much as he could earlier.

As he limply tried to get up, Takaoka stomped on Nagisa's head, smirking. "Beg for your life. Beg like the little ant under my boot you are."

"I'm...not gonna...beg for my life!" Nagisa rasped. Takaoka stepped on him harder. "Do you want to die?"

Nagisa actually had to pause.

_'Good question. Do I want to die? It would certainly rid everyone the burden of me, but if I die, he'll hurt Kaede and Karma. I can't let that happen. I won't let it happen.'_

"No...and I won't...let you touch...my friends..!"

"Oooooh, you sounded so scary," Takaoka mocked and snickered, lifting his boot off of him. Just as Nagisa began to sat up, Takaoka kicked Nagisa's temple, throwing him further to the side.

Nagisa could feel the blood trickling down his head as black dots filled his blurring vision. "If you...kill me...won't your...client...be mad?" he muttered. Takaoka smirked. "I doubt it. They'd be a little upset that you didn't suffer a fate worse than death, but I think they'd be happy if the world was clear of disgusting worms like you."

"You won't...get away...with this. You'll be caught...eventually," Nagisa tried to stand, only for a wave of dizziness to wash over him. He fell back.

"Kid, you wouldn't be able to do shit against me. I'm an ex-soldier. I left after the war, people view me as a war hero. Everything I say, people will believe it's for the greater good. Now, tell me. If you were to escape, and you did tell the police, who would they believe? A snot nosed punk, or a war hero?"

"They..!"

"Innocent until proven guilty. And I know how to hide all this. All I really have to do is blow it all up," he crouched down and smirked. "Daddy has a couple grenades in his office. You wouldn't want me to get them, would you?"

Seeing the faint horror and fear in Nagisa's eyes, he threw his head back and laughed. "And no one would know a damn thing. Your mother, your friends, classmates! No one would ever find the body of Nagisa Shiota! They'd think you were shipped off and sold!"

"You're...an asshole..."

Takaoka smirked in amusement. "I think I like this plan way better. You're in no condition to be even sitting up. Say goodbye to your life, Nagisa Shiota!"

He left the small, injured, and dying boy in the cell as he headed to his office.

~

"Hideki! Bunji! Mantaro!" Atsuo burst in their room, panting heavily. The other three boys jumped and glanced at their youngest friend. "Taka...oka...he's gonna...he's..."

"Spit it out. What's he doing?" Mantaro asked. Atsuo looked at them with wide and fearful eyes. "I was walking by and heard him telling Shiota that he has grenades in his office. He's headed there now. He's gonna blow this place up!"

"But that's good, right?" Bunji frowned. "We wouldn't be his henchmen anymore."

"No! We'd be dead!" Atsuo snapped.

Hideki stood up, anger evident in his eyes. "That damn asshole! I fucking knew we should have-"

"Calm down, Hideki. I have a plan," Atsuo said. The three other alphas silenced and listened to him.

"Hideki and Mantaro, you attack Takaoka. Bunji, disarm the bombs. I'll get Shiota out."

Hideki and Mantaro shared an uneasy glance. Their job was the most crucial. If they failed, they would die for sure. So would Bunji in result, and then Atsuo and Nagisa. They could not afford to mess it up.

"And..." Atsuo grimaced. "If we do make it out alive, I'm turning myself in to the police. We can never atone for what we've done."

Hideki, Mantaro, and Bunji nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Let's move out! Go!" they each ran out of the room. Hideki, the oldest of the group, stopped. He put a hand on Atsuo's shoulder. "You're really growing up, man," he said quietly. Atsuo smiled wryly and pushed him off. "Go get him. Make him pay for fucking with us, and all the betas and omegas he's hurt and sold!"

Hideki grinned, giving a mini salute. "Yes sir." he ran off.

Atsuo took a deep breath, and ran in the direction of the cell rooms, where Nagisa was being held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter was pretty weak, I think. And shorter than the rest, but the next should be longer! <3


	6. Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hideki and Mantaro attack Takaoka.  
> Bunji tries to find the grenades.  
> Atsuo and Nagisa try to escape.  
> Karma and Kaede arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *poses fabulously* hello loves! Its funny, yesterday after I saw the comments I literally had to fight the urge to update another chapter XD I might end up doing 2 chapters a day every now and then.

 

Hideki said nothing as he caught up with Mantaro, both finding Takaoka headed towards his office. They glanced at eachother then tackled him simultaneously. Takaoka made a sound of genuine surprise, falling from the impact. He glared at the two younger alphas, who held him down, both wearing expressions of anger and determination.

"What the hell are you boys doing?!" he snarled.

"We're stopping you from blowing this shithole up!" Mantaro shouted, holding his legs down. Hideki gripped Takaoka's arms behind his back and flung forward, using his elbow to slam on the back of Takaoka's head, smashing his face to the floor. "We're having you arrested, Takaoka. You're not going to get away with this. We're not going to let you murder anymore people! We're sick of pretending to take joy in ruining innocent peoples lives just so you can make money! That's sick!  _You're_ sick!"

"Boys...you forget something. I could have killed you, but I didn't. Now let daddy go, before he gets upset."

Hideki and Mantaro tightened their grip.

"Have it your way, you stubborn shits," Takaoka suddenly thrusted to the side, rolling over. Hideki gasped as Takaoka's larger body crushed his. He felt ribs cracking under his weight. He let out a cry of pain.

"Hideki!" Mantaro stumbled up, aiming to punch Takaoka's crazed face. "You basta-!"

Before he knew it, Takaoka whipped his bloodied knife out, stabbing Mantaro directly in the gut. Mantaro froze, eyes wide in shock before fading. When Takaoka removed his knife, Mantaro fell forward, landing facefirst on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. He laid there, white and motionless. Even from where Hideki was, he could tell his best friend was dead.

"M-Mantaro..." he whispered as Takaoka laughed, licking the blood from his knife. Pure, unadulterated rage filled him, tears springing to his eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU!!" he screamed, tackling Takaoka once again, ignoring the flare of pain in his ribs. Takaoka turned his head to him with a smile too wide, his eyes too playful. He was truly a despicable, insane, bastard. Hideki felt nothing but contempt for this man. This  _godforsaken man who ruined their life._ He killed his best friend.

"How dare I?" Takaoka echoed, cackling. "I told you to not make daddy upset! You were the ones who didn't listen to a word I said! If anything you should be mad at yourself for not listening to dear old daddy!"

"You're  _not_ my dear old daddy!" Hideki snarled, throwing his fist forward, effectively punching his face. Takaoka laughed the entire time as Hideki threw punch after punch at him. When he saw how unaffected Takaoka was, his resolve crumbled, and he burst into sobs. "Man...taro..." he wailed.

"Pathetic," Takaoka muttered, displeased at how weak Hideki had turned out. Without a second thought, he shoved him off, stabbing him the same way he'd stabbed Mantaro. He removed his knife, smirking down at him. "Now let's find your other friends, shall we? Maybe you can hear their screams before you bleed to death." he walked away.

"N-no..." Hideki gasped. "Bu...nji..."

He laid there, the pain was numbing, and his head was throbbing. He closed his eyes, his life flashing.  _'Woah...guess when people said your life flashes before your eyes when you're dying is really true...'_

_-_

_"I wanna be class rep!" First year of junior high Hideki Sato stood up, raising his hand. His teacher only nodded. "Anyone else?" she questioned. Another hand shot up from across the room. It was a tanned boy with caramel colored hair. "Me! I do!"_

_Hideki's eyes narrowed. He knew that boy. It was Mantaro Tamura. His rival._

_"I rose my hand first!" Hideki said stubbornly. Mantaro stuck his tongue out. "Well I said I wanted to so you can't have it!"_

_"That's no fair!" Hideki screeched._

_"BOYS!" their teacher snapped._

_-_

_"So what high school are you going to?" Hideki asked Mantaro. Ever since first year, they'd been best friends. When he won, Mantaro accepted it with grace, and just stuck by him. It was annoying at first, but he grew used to it. Mantaro shrugged. "No idea. I'm just gonna go with the flow."_

_"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" a new voice shrilled. The boys blinked and peered over their junior high building, stunned to see a boy with fair skin and unkempt dark green hair kneeling down with a scared look. Another boy was towering over him with a cold look. "If I want to botch up your chances of getting into high school, I can. And after you stole my girlfriend, I will."_

_"I didn't-!"_

_"Hey!" Hideki glared at the bully. Both looked over. The bully faltered when he saw Hideki. "A-ah. Class rep, what are you doing here?" he asked in fear. Hideki stormed over, Mantaro scrambling after him. "If you don't get the fuck out of here, I'll be the one who ruins your chances of getting into high school," he threatened. The bully staggered back and took off running. Hideki sighed and turned to the boy, holding out his hand. "Sorry. Are you okay? You're Bunji Shibata, right?"_

_The boy nodded._

_-_

_It was the three boys second year of high school when a boy transferred to their class. He was smaller, but from the look in his eye, he was clearly an alpha. Their teacher pat his back. "Class, this is Atsuo Murata. He's been transferred here from Tokyo. He's supposed to be a first year but his grades are spectacular. Please make him feel at home here."  
_

_"Yes sir." the class chorused._

_Atsuo sat near the back and looked out the window. Hideki, who sat in front of him, whirled around with a big smile. "Hi! I'm Hideki Sato. Welcome to our school!"_

_Atsuo blinked, but let a small smile flit across his face. "Thanks."_

_-_

_When Takaoka kidnapped them, they'd agreed to do what he asked. But kidnapping this omega, this small omega girl who looked like she could shit herself, disgusted Hideki. He swallowed back his fear and hid it behind a smirk. "Hey dollface, wanna come with us?" he asked. Mantaro, Bunji, and Atsuo shared an uncomfortable glance, but followed his lead._

_Followed his lead._

_It was his fault they did this._

_His fault they went along with this instead of pretend the omegas got away._

_All his fault..._

_-_

Hideki felt his eyes slowly close.  _'At least...I died doing...the right thing.'_

Then his breath stilled.

~

"Come on, come on, come on!" Bunji hissed as he dug around the office for Takaoka's grenades. He knew Hideki and Mantaro won't hold him off forever.

"Looking for something?" Takaoka's voice rang out. Bunji whirled around with a gasp. Takaoka was covered in blood, and from his stance, it clearly wasn't his. Bunji's eyes widened. "Where's Hideki and Mantaro?!" he demanded.

"Gone. But don't worry. You'll join them soon enough."

Takaoka approached the trembling boy and grabbed his hair, slitting his throat.

Bunji collapsed. He died almost instantly.

~

"Nagisa!" Atsuo swung the cell door open, not stopping despite the foul stench of blood in the air. He raced to Nagisa's side, swearing under his breath at the state Nagisa was in. Atsuo ripped his white hoodie off, revealing a red top underneath. He moved Nagisa's hand away from the wound on his shoulder. Nagisa let out a cry of pain as Atsuo tied it around his shoulder tightly.

"Tight! Too tight!" Nagisa gasped in pain.

"It has to be tight!" Atsuo snapped, "it'll help stop the bleeding! Now come on!" he heaved Nagisa to his feet, ignoring the grunts and whimpers of pain. He knew Nagisa was hurting. From the drug, and from Takaoka. But he had to get them out. If he didn't, all of their efforts would have been for nothing.

He supported Nagisa and had him wrap his good arm around his neck. He took off running, with Nagisa stumbling after him.

Atsuo looked around frantically, the back entrance was the ideal way out, but there was a large fence circling around the house, and Atsuo knew he couldn't climb it. Well, not with Nagisa.

The front entrance had the door of the gate. It was worth a shot, but if Takaoka beat Hideki and Mantaro, he'd...

 _'No. I can't think about that. I have to hurry and get Nagisa out of here.'_ Atsuo swallowed back his worry and took off to the front.

Nagisa, on the other hand, was in a daze. He felt lightheaded and dizzy, his vision was constantly blurring and unblurring, the voice, he recognized it to be Atsuo's, kept fading in and out. He wanted to ask him why he was hurting him.

Why was he dragging him out? Why did the entire place reek of blood?  _Why, why, why?_

He felt Atsuo leave his side for a second, then he was back, dragging him out yet another door. It was colder in the room, and darker, and unlike the rest of the place, didn't reek of blood. He then realized they weren't in a room. They were  _outside._

_Free._

Atsuo continued to drag him, and Nagisa honestly tried his best to keep up. He didn't want to burden Atsuo more than necessary. As they got to a large gate, Atsuo tried to open it, swearing when he realized it was locked. He let go of Nagisa and used both hands to fiddle with the lock.

Nagisa leaned against the gate with a tired look on his face. He watched helplessly as Atsuo struggled to get the lock open.

Atsuo dug his hand around in his pocket, swearing.

"Nagisa do you have any hairpins?" he asked, brow twitching. He lost them. They probably fell out when he was getting Nagisa.

Nagisa blinked and shook his head, regretting the action instantly. Everything was swirling.

"Atsuuuuo~ Nagisaaaa~" a voice they dreaded called out. They both looked at the door where Takaoka stood, an expression full of arrogance and something else. It was animalistic. The expression was beyond anything they'd ever seen. Period.

"Where you going? Daddy wants you to stay. Come onnn! It'll be a  _blast_!" he laughed. It was a laugh that sent chills down their spines. Nagisa knew he'd be haunted by that laugh. He took a step out. "Daddy wants you to stay and have fun. Don't you wanna stay with daddy?"

Atsuo clenched his fists. "Goddammit!" he snarled, holding his hand up. Before Nagisa knew what was going on, Atsuo ripped his  _entire thumb nail off._

Atsuo gritted his teeth as he ripped it off, ignoring the blood gushing from his thumb.

"Atsuo!" Nagisa was horrified.

He shoved it in the lock and began fiddling with it. Takaoka laughed again and started walking towards them.

Atsuo finally managed to open the lock. He yanked the gate open and grabbed Nagisa, throwing him out and following close behind. He slammed the gate shut and held it tightly as Takaoka began clawing at it, trying to open it.

"Nagisa, go!" Atsuo said. Nagisa stared at him, dumbfounded. He was gonna go through all this trouble to help him, even doing something painful and reckless to himself, only to throw it away?

"No, I can't leave without you," Nagisa managed to fumble out. "Idiot! If you don't, all three of us will be caught in the blast! If I run with you now, he can escape! Just listen to me!" Atsuo snapped.

Nagisa looked around, his hazy and throbbing mind made it hard to think. Then he saw something afew feet away. It was a rock. It was large, but enough to fit through the gate. He stumbled to it and picked it up. It was heavy on his weakening limbs, but hopefully Atsuo would see what he was doing and help him out.

And he did. Once he noticed the rock in his hands, he reached for it, his hand that wasn't injured still holding the bars. Nagisa handed it to him.

Atsuo whirled around and shoved his hand through the cracks, glad the bars were far enough for his arm and the rock to reach through. He bashed Takaoka's face with the rock, making him stumble and fall back several feet.

"That's for my friends," Atsuo hissed, retracting his arm. "I know you killed them. You're a fucking bastard. I hope you rot in hell!"

"Atsuo! Let's go! Now!" Nagisa rose his voice. Atsuo nodded when he was sure Takaoka was too dazed to get up. He kneeled down and it didn't take Nagisa longer than a second to realize what he wanted. He hopped on Atsuo's back with no resistance. The moment he was secured, Atsuo took off running, only faintly hearing Takaoka scream.

The grenades that Takaoka planted gone off. The impact definitely would've killed Takaoka. Unfortunately, they weren't far enough away to escape the explosion unscathed. The impact had both boys surging forward into some trees. Atsuo was knocked out cold.

Nagisa laid there, blood, sweat, even tears all over his body. He took a deep, shuddering breath, wincing at the sharp pain.

He slowly let darkness consume him.

~

It was past three in the morning when Karma and Kaede neared the outskirts of town, and it was a quarter past three when they heard, and saw, an explosion in the distance. "What the hell?!" Karma shouted.

"Why would there be an explosion now?!" Kaede yelped.

Karma stood rigidly for a second, terror filling his body. He took off running in the direction.  _'No. Oh god, no, please no! Don't let Nagisa be here!'_ he prayed. Karma Akabane was  _praying._

Kaede caught up with him when they got near the demolished building full of smoke. Karma stood there, frozen in place. Kaede looked around, noticing two lumps lying further away. She tugged on Karma's sleeve. "Karma! Look!" she pointed. Karma's golden gaze followed where her finger was pointing. The moment his eyes found the target, his legs carried him forward, leaving Kaede behind him. She scrambled after him when he bolted over.

"NAGISA!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM! Hehe, see what I did there? :3 so Karma and Kaede have found Nagisa, as well as Atsuo!  
> ...And, is it bad I legitimately cried when writing out Hideki, Mantaro, and Bunji's deaths? I mean, I know they're OCs and not very relevant, and only had a couple chapters, but they grew on me as I wrote more depth to them T^T


	7. The Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma and Kaede call an ambulance.  
> Kaede visits Atsuo.  
> Isogai calls Nagisa's mother.  
> Hiromi is stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...am...so tired...I was up all night last night playing "Until Dawn" and I managed to save everyone on my first playthrough. I thought I'd be able to kill Emily by abandoning her yanno but apparently that was the right choice >_> I loved Ashley the best and literally sobbed when she was nearly killed.  
> Anyway, I decided to try to keep awake by updating.

 

"Oh my god, Nagisa!" Karma kneeled down where Nagisa was laying. He lifted the upper half of Nagisa's body up, his eyes scanning Nagisa's body, taking in all the injuries he'd sustained. His hand traced the gashes on his side, his face hardened. "Kayano, call an ambulance. Now!" he barked. Kaede jumped and fumbled to get her phone out, dialing in 911. As she explained the situation, Karma held the smaller body closer to him, whispering apologies in his ear.

"I'm so sorry I let this happen, Nagisa. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He wished Nagisa would open his eyes.

When Kaede put her phone away, she kneeled over where the other boy was laying. Karma watched as she held his hand up, tears forming in her eyes at the sight of his thumb. "Did he help Nagisa?" she asked quietly. Karma barely shrugged. "I'm guessing so. You called for two ambulances, right?"

She nodded.

Karma said nothing as he held Nagisa closer to his body. Nagisa was freezing, but he couldn't give him his shirt. Not without taking off the large blood soaked hoodie wrapped around Nagisa's shoulder. Which, Karma knew, would be stupid. He didn't want him to bleed to death in his arms.

When the ambulance came by, it took them longer than the two friends hoped, they put Nagisa and the other boy in separate ambulances.

Karma was about to follow, but one of the paramedics stopped him.

"Sir, what's your relation-"

"I'm his best friend, let me ride with him!" Karma snapped.

After a moment of hesitation, the paramedic let him and Kaede in the ambulance with Nagisa. They stood off to the side as the paramedics drove off to the hospital. A paramedic checked Nagisa's pulse before removing the hoodie.

Blood started gushing out at a faster pace.

"Speed up!" The paramedic called to the driver.

Karma felt his heart beating loudly against his chest as the ambulance sped up, the siren now wailing loudly. They were losing him.

Eventually, they made it to the hospital, where the two injured boys were rushed in. There were shouts and other various noises. Karma and Kaede were forced to stand in the waiting room.

Karma sighed and sat on a chair, leaning forward and burying his face in his hands. He didn't move.

_'This is all my fault. All my fault. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have gotten kidnapped. He wouldn't have gotten tortured. He wouldn't be dying in the hospital right now. How could he ever forgive me? I'm supposed to protect him...'_

~

Kaede watched as Karma sat down and buried his face in his hands. He didn't move, except for the slight tremors he had in his body. Kaede wanted to comfort him, but she knew nothing she could say would help him. It was his fault. They both knew that. But that didn't mean she felt bad for him. She knew hew regretted it. She knew he wished he could change everything.

Sighing, she took her phone out and texted Nakamura.

 

_Kaede_

_We found Nagisa. We're at the hospital now._

_Sent at: 4:26am_

 

_Nakamura_

_Really? We'll be there soon._

_Sent at: 4:29am_

 

_Kaede_

_Ok._

_Sent at: 4:30am_

 

Kaede backed out of their conversation and texted Isogai with the same exact message.

 

_Isogai_

_We're on our way. Okuda asks if he's ok_

_Sent at: 4:36am_

 

_Kaede_

_I don't know. Karma's really torn up though so be careful on what you ask around him_

_Sent at: 4:37am_

 

_Isogai_

_Alright. See you soon_

_Sent at: 4:39am_

 

Kaede put her phone away with a sigh. She sat down a couple seats away from Karma to give him some space. By the time the others arrived, she wondered if he was even conscious anymore.

"Kayano! What happened?" Maehara asked when they arrived. Kaede stood up sadly. "Well, we got to the place Okuda recommended we go to. And when we found it, it just exploded."

"It exploded?" Isogai repeated in shock.

Kaede nodded.

"But how-?"

"We don't know. We just saw it explode and found Nagisa and some other boy laying there. So we called the ambulance and they were brought here," Kaede cut in. "What other boy?" Okuda asked. Kaede shrugged. "I don't know. Guess we'll find out when they wake up."

After a good ten minutes, the doctor came out, and Karma sprung up. "Is he okay?!" he asked frantically.

"If by _he_ you mean the brown haired young man, yes," the doctor replied. Karma slumped. "No, I mean the blue haired one. Nagisa."

"Well, he's still being worked on. If you want to see the other-"

"No, I'm fine," Karma sat back down, "I'll wait for Nagisa to be done."

"I'll go visit him," Kaede said in a quiet voice. The doctor only nodded. "He's in room ten right now, so you can go ahead," he stepped aside for her. "Thank you, sir," Kaede said, walking in, leaving the rest of her friends standing in the waiting room.

She walked past each door until she came across one with the big number 10. She quietly opened the door and stepped in the hospital room, her eyes landing on the brown haired boy. She walked to his bedside. "Hi," she said quietly, "you don't know me, but my name is Kaede Kayano. I'm one of Nagisa's best friends."

He looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Do you know if Nagisa made it okay?" was the first words that came from his mouth. Kaede blinked and looked away. "They're still working on him. But what about you? Are you okay?"

The boy sighed. "I'm about as okay as I can be," he admitted.

"What happened? We found you and Nagisa by a building that exploded," Kaede said. The boy winced and a sad look crossed his features. "Oh, right. Takaoka..." he looked down. "He killed Hideki, Mantaro and Bunji...my best friends..."

Kaede looked at him in sympathy. "So, who are you?" she asked. He looked at her tiredly. "My name is Atsuo. I helped Nagisa escape from Takaoka."

"You helped him? Oh my gosh thank you so much! Really! We don't know how to thank you! Especially Karma! All of this happened so fast! Oh gosh it hasn't even been twelve hours since he was kidnapped! It feels like its been days!" she went on. After a few minutes she saw the tired look on his face and covered her mouth. "Oops. I'm sorry! Um, so, how did you lose your thumb nail?" she asked awkwardly, blushing in embarrassment. He looked at his bandaged thumb with a grimace. "The gate was locked. I didn't have any hairpins on me, so in order to unlock it, I had to rip my nail off," Atsuo explained.

Kaede blanched. "That sounds so painful."

"No pain, no gain."

"Yeah, I guess that's true..." she sighed and stood up. "I should get going. I'll visit again tomorrow, Atsuo," Kaede stood up.

Atsuo only watched her leave.

~

When Kaede left, Isogai pulled his phone out with a sigh. He had to tell Nagisa's mom. She had the right to know what was going on.

He scrolled through saved numbers until he found it. He clicked and brought the phone up to his ear. It rang five times before a sharp feminine voice answered, nearly scaring him.

_"Hello?"_

Isogai cleared his throat. "Y-yes, Mrs. Shiota! This is Yuma Isogai!"

_"Ah, you're the responsible friend of my son. What is it?"_

"Well, uh, Nagisa was kidnapped yesterday and we found him, but he's in the hospital right now. I just figured we should let you know. Since you're his mom and all," he chuckled nervously. It was quiet on the other end for a minute.

_"I see. Thank you for letting me know."_

"Are you gonna come see him?" Isogai asked hopefully.

_"The earliest I can come back is Monday morning. I'll be there."_

"Great. You're awesome, mam, and sorry to wake you if you were asleep."

_"Oh don't worry. I was still awake. Business trips are such a fuss, aren't they?"_

Isogai laughed slightly. "I feel you. I hope you get some good rest."

 _"Thank you, sweetie."_ she hung up.

Isogai hung up as well with a small smile on his face. Sure, Nagisa's mom was abit...eccentric, shall we say, but she still cared about Nagisa. She was gonna come home early for him. A mother should be doing so anyway, but Nagisa's mother usually disregards what 'normal mothers' do.

Either way, he was glad she was gonna show her son some much needed support.

~

Hiromi Shiota was surprised to receive a phone call from Yuma Isogai, Nagisa's friend. She was even more surprised when he told her he was in the hospital.

She frowned. As a mother, she knew she had to see him. As a person, she was displeased. She fiddled around with her phone, feeling darkness bubble up in her chest. She took a breath and dialed in a different number, full on scowling when there was no answer.

"Dammit. Nagisa, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" she snarled to herself. The business was gonna have to wait.

She had things to fix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter was pretty slow and weak. Like, short. But I don't know how to extend this one very well.  
> But the story isn't over yet! More obstacles are in their path!  
> Also, I only know about the ambulances speeding up and the sirens because when I was little I was dying in an ambulance, my mom told me about it, so I just used my knowledge of that for this.


	8. Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede and the others go home.  
> Nagisa wakes up.  
> Karma comes in and talks to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about chapter 7, I know it was short. I'm trying to extend the chapters??? But??? That??? Can??? Be??? Hard???

 

When Kaede stepped back into the waiting room, Karma had sat back down in his previous position, and no one else seemed to have moved a single muscle, each opting to staring at one thing or another. It was dead silent other than the typing at the front desks and the tv that played the news. Kaede sighed and sat back down, next to Karma this time. She hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. She wondered if he even felt it.

She got her answer when he spoke, which honestly surprised her.

"So how was that boy?"

His voice was distant, as if he was just trying to take his mind off of the entire situation. Kaede couldn't blame him, so she humored him with an answer.

"He's okay for the most part. His thumb is all wrapped up. Gosh, it looked so painful, but he didn't seem to even care about it. It's like he was totally immune to it and only worried about Nagisa, which if he helped him out, it's not surprising that he's worried, I think it's kinda sweet, you know?" she was rambling now. Again. Karma never looked up, but judging from the small frown twisting at his mouth, she can guess he wanted her to shut up already. She slowly trailed off until she was silent. He still didn't move.

"Huns, you should probably go home, it's already 5:45 in the morning. You really need your sleep." the nurse at the front desk spoke.

"I can wait," Karma muttered. Kaede, Kanzaki, Okuda, Nakamura, Isogai, and Maehara each nodded in agreement.

"Let me rephrase: go home. You don't wanna end up in the hospital rooms yourself, do you? Then you wouldn't be able to see your friends at all, not until you were all better," she said with a much more firmer tone. Karma tensed and sighed, removing his hands from his face and stood up. Kaede finally got a good look at his face.

Karma's face was pale, and he had very dark bags under his vacant, near soulless golden eyes. His red hair was messy, unkempt from running his hand through his hair repeatedly and from running around.

He really looked like death lingered around him.

Kaede wasn't even sure if she looked much better.

"Karma, the nurse is right, you really should get some rest," she said gently. Karma shot her a betrayed look, making her step back.

"No offense man, but you look like hell," Maehara said bluntly. Isogai nodded in agreement as Nakamura walked up to him, ever so confident, not at all scared of him. She stood on her tip toes and looked him in the eye, her blue eyes searching his, before stepping back with an accusing look. "You haven't taken care of yourself since school yesterday," she announced. Karma rolled his eyes. "Gee, really? I never knew," he said sarcastically.

She walked behind him and began pushing him out the door. He stumbled abit.

"See, on a normal day, you'd barely move. Now you're stumbling on your own feet. Thus you need sleep! Do it or else I will not let you see Nagisa!"

Karma gave her a scandalous look. "As if you can stop me from that," he said incredulously. She smirked. "I can when you're in this state."

He didn't answer. Instead, he just gave the blonde haired tease a scowl. As if he knew she was right and didn't want to admit she was right. Nakamura smirked as Kaede's jaw dropped when he sighed and began walking out. He stopped at the threshold and turned to the nurse at the desk. "I'll be back later today. You better let me know if he's made any progress when I get back!"

The nurse only nodded with a soft smile. "Of course, hun. Go get rest."

Kaede sighed and touched Karma's arm. "Stop threatening the nurse, Karma, just go home."

Karma shrugged her off and walked out.

"You need to go home too, Kayano," Isogai said in disapproval. Kaede giggled. "I know, I'm pretty tired. So I'll be going now. Kanzaki? Okuda? Nakamura? Wanna come over for the rest of the day? We can visit later," she offered.

"Sleepover!" Nakamura sang and skipped over to where the small green haired girl was as Okuda and Kanzaki joined much more slowly. Kaede led the way out with the girls following her. When they neared the exit of the hospital, she heard Isogai and Maehara trailing behind them, and she felt relief that they were leaving as well.

When Kaede and the other girls got home, they all sat in the living room, with Nakamura listing off fun things they could do before visiting Nagisa.

Kaede closed her eyes, hearing Kanzaki and Okuda's breathing slowing to a deep rhythm. She knew they were asleep.

Ever so slowly, Nakamura's listing got quieter and quieter. Kaede opened an eye and saw her slumped on the couch, snoring softly.

Kaede smiled and turned on her side, falling asleep as well.

~

Somewhere around nine in the morning, Nagisa stirred. His eyes felt like they were stuck together and heavy from his slumber. He limply reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes, grimacing at the sharp pain in his shoulder. He lowered his arm and forced his eyes to open, wincing when he noticed the dark room, but relaxed when he saw everything was white.

 _'I'm in the hospital,'_ he quickly realized. He attempted to sit up but hissed at the sharp pain in his ribs, and flopped back down. He touched his bandaged shoulder, eyes trailing down to his arm, noticing the IV plucked into his arm.

Flashbacks of the injection full of that mysterious bright yellow liquid filled his mind, and without realizing it, he began to tense up, Takaoka's voice echoing in his mind.

_"You better survive this, brat."_

Nagisa faintly heard a beeping grow more and more rapid, realizing it was a heart monitor. He tried to steady his breathing, but that  _damn voice_ wouldn't go away.

_"You better survive this, brat."_

Nagisa clearly remembered the pain that followed when Takaoka jammed the needle into his arm. Panic took over and he began to scream in fear. "NOOO! GET IT OFF! GET THE NEEDLE OFF OF ME! GET IT OUT!"

Many nurses ran in, talking in softly but urgently.

"Shh, Mr. Shiota-"

"GET THIS FUCKING NEEDLE OFF OF ME! GET IT OUT! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME AN OMEGA!" he screamed.

The nurses shared a look of pity as one called out, "Aiko! Bring the sedatives!"

"NOOOO! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU TO STOP!" Nagisa's mind was clouded in fear, and for a reason his normally rational mind couldn't comprehend, he felt like he was back in that room, the hands of nurses reminding him of the straps that had harshly held him down, rendering him helpless of moving. One nurse came in, a couple pills in hand and a cup of water in the other. The nurses stepped aside, a couple remained where they were to hold him down.

Aiko, the nurse with the pills, leaned over, speaking to him a gentle tone, almost motherly. "Listen, dear. You need to take these, it'll help you feel better."

"GET THIS NEEDLE OUT OF ME!"

Aiko shook her head. "You still need the needle, darling. It'll be taken out by the end of the day, no one's gonna hurt you here, you're safe," she soothed, setting the water cup down to stroke his sweaty head. She frowned. "Dear me, you're burning up. Fumi, be a dear and get a cold rag," she said. One of the nurses that had stepped aside nodded and rushed out of the room.

"Shhh, take these pills, we'll take the needle out when it's ready, for now we need it in, you're okay, it'll be okay, I promise," she spoke with a smile. Nagisa stared at her, still tense. "You'll take it out?"

"Yes, dear, we will, give it about nine hours, that's all. And you know what? If you take these pills, time will fly, and nine hours will be up before you realize it," she hummed. Nagisa's blue eyes wavered. "Promise?"

"I promise."

Nagisa relaxed as she brought the pills to his mouth. He opened his mouth and she gently put them on his tongue before bringing the cup to his lips and allowed him to drink until he swallowed them. She continued to run her hand through his hair, even when Fumi brought back the cold, wet cloth and laid it across his forehead, she didn't stop. Nagisa watched her, relaxing more at her motherly touch. Eventually, his eyes felt heavy, and he allowed sleep to take over.

~

Sometime around four, Karma came back to the hospital. He'd been shocked over how easily he fell asleep, despite being worried as hell over his small friend. When he woke up, it was around one. For the next couple hours, he made himself some lunch, and took a long, hot shower. He took his sweet time drying off and straightening himself up. It'd been half past three when he finished. He walked to the hospital, which took a good half hour.

He strolled up to the front desk, where the same nurse as last night was. She smiled at him. "Hello Mr. Akabane. I see you slept well," she commented.

"Yeah, surprisingly well. But what about you? Long shift?" he rose an eyebrow.

She gave a hearty laugh. "I'm covering for a friend. After that, I'll have the next couple days off. It's alright though, Hana brought me a coffee."

"That was nice of her. So, did Nagisa ever wake up?" he questioned. Her smile fell and her eyes turned sad. "Yes, this morning around nine. He woke up screaming. We had to give him sedatives. He might be awake now though."

Karma winced and looked at the door. "Can I see him?"

She hesitated but nodded. "He's in the ninth room."

"Thank you," he opened the door and walked in, going through the corridors until he stood right outside Nagisa's room. He took a deep breath and slid the door open. He froze in shock.

Nagisa was laying there, he had an IV in his arm, and a heart monitor was beeping steadily. Bandages were wrapped around his torso and shoulder, and Karma can only guess there were more littering his body he couldn't see.

But that wasn't what made him stop.

What made him stop was the fact Nagisa was sitting up in bed, holding a small, steaming cup of what he presumed was tea. Crystal eyes met gold, and Nagisa smiled weakly.

"Kar-"

Before he could even finish saying his name, Karma was at his side, hugging him. He made sure to be careful of his bandages, but he also made sure Nagisa felt the squeeze. Relief flooded through the taller alpha. He nearly sobbed. But he didn't cry.

Nagisa, on the other hand, let out a choked sound and used his good arm to cling to Karma. "K-Karmaaaa," he wailed.

"It's fine, Nagisa, I'm here, you won't get hurt again, I'm here, it's okay, it's fine," he said with unnatural gentleness in his voice. Gentleness he knew he reserved solely for Nagisa.

"Karmaaaa it was so t-terrifying!" he hiccuped. Karma rubbed his back, closing his eyes and burying his face in surprisingly soft blue hair. When he smelled faint blueberry shampoo, he immediately figured the nurses helped him bathe.

"Shh, I know," he murmured, not letting go. He didn't want to. He wanted to make sure Nagisa  _knew_ how scared he was. Scared of losing him.

"Nagisa, I need to apologize for not being there," Karma took a deep, shuddering breath. "So, I'm sorry..."

Nagisa was quiet for a minute before speaking, his voice was trembling. "I- when I was attacked, I called and called for you, I...I was just, there was four of them, I didn't know what to do."

Karma swallowed a lump in his throat and his grip tightened subconsciously. "I'm sorry," he repeated guiltily. It's his job as an alpha, and as Nagisa's friend, to protect him. He was gonna be much more serious about that. He'll still give Nagisa his space, but goddammit he won't let his adorable friend get hurt again.

He blinked. He called Nagisa adorable again.

"Karma? I wanna apologize too," Nagisa mumbled.

Karma jerked back to reality, staring at him in confusion. "What? Why are  _you_ sorry?"

"For...you know, being a burden...wasting your time," he explained, chewing his bottom lip. Karma stared at him, dumbfounded, then put a hand to his face with a dry smile. "If it was a burden to me, do you really think I'd go through the trouble of searching for you all night, staying up, and coming back?"

"...Not with you."

"Exactly."

"Then, sorry for worrying you."

"Mm..." Karma rested his chin on Nagisa's head. "Apology accepted."

Nagisa cracked a smile. Karma pulled away after a minute, looking Nagisa in the eye, his previous expression gone, replaced with one much more serious. "So I want you to explain to me, everything they did to you. How did you get all of these wounds," he touched the bandage on Nagisa's shoulder and traced it to his side. Nagisa swallowed nervously. Karma never was the type to beat around the bush.

So, Nagisa told him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And these 2 dorks have finally reunited! :D


	9. Camaraderie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa explains what happened.  
> Karma teases Nagisa.  
> Atsuo gets a surprise visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I was gonna take a day off writing but my mom decided to piss me off so I'm like, "hey why not" :D

 

"Well, to start off with, I left my house at six. On my way over, four alphas attacked me. I threw my stuff down and tried to run to your place. But before I could make it they knocked me out and took me away, to that building. When I woke up, I was tied up, and the man who was behind all those kidnappings, the one who kept selling off omegas and betas..." he grimaced, "it was Takaoka."

"Takaoka? Where is he now?" Karma questioned.

"Dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah, but I'll get to that. So Takaoka was behind the kidnappings, and kept taunting me. I think he was insinuating he was gonna sell me as a sex slave," Nagisa eyed Karma, whose entire demeanor changed. His body stiffened and his eyes hardened, as if he was fighting the urge to punch something. Nagisa touched Karma's hand gently, which calmed him down considerably.

"Anyway, I got mouthy with him, and he whipped me-"

"Wait, he  _whipped_ you?" Karma repeated, tensing up again. His eyes flashed to Nagisa's bandages. Nagisa gripped his shirt this time, looking at him pleadingly. "Karma, he's dead now, please let me finish. Remembering isn't that easy for me, and it's gonna go allot slower if you keep interrupting."

Karma's face dropped to one of guilt.

"Sorry, Nagisa. I'm just..." he looked away, "I can't imagine someone hurting you. It's...painful, to imagine."

Nagisa felt his chest warm up and he gave Karma a small smile, tugging at his shirt lightly. Karma glanced back at him and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. Nagisa rested his forehead on Karma's arm.

"...You were saying?" Karma murmured, stroking his hair.

"Right, right. So, after that he brought me to a table and..." this was the hard part. Nagisa began to tense up. Karma, most likely feeling his body beginning to stiffen, rubbed his back. Nagisa took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. "He threatened you, Karma, you and Kayano. He said if I didn't survive, both of you were gonna die. I was so scared..."

"But we're alive, we're not going to die on you," Karma soothed.

"..."

"What happened after that?"

"Well he put an injection into me. The injection where he can turn betas into omegas. It hurt...it hurt so much, Karma, no pain in the world can live up to that pain. The pain that was described online, saying it feels like you're being torn apart from the inside? They weren't exaggerating. It really did feel like that."

Karma's grip on him tightened slightly but he said nothing.

Nagisa could feel tears warming his eyes. "A-and after that I blacked out. And when I woke up, one of the alphas who kidnapped me was there-"

"Did he do anything to you?" Karma asked sharply, "did he touch you inappropriately?"

"No! Not at all!" Nagisa said quickly, "he helped me. He cleaned my cuts and told me...Karma, he was a victim too, he and his friends were kidnapped and they were forced to do Takaoka's dirty work."

Karma pulled away to look at him in disbelief. "That doesn't excuse the fact  _he kidnapped you_!"

"I know! But he felt so bad! And he promised to help me get out of there! But..."

"But?" he prompted.

"But, in order to cover up the fact he helped me..." Nagisa's voice trailed off when he saw the look on Karma's face. He swallowed slightly. "He punched me."

Karma's eyes narrowed as he took in Nagisa's bruised face. Nagisa put a finger to his cheek. "Here. A different alpha gave me the black eye," he explained. Karma closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, before opening them again and lightly touching the bandage on his shoulder. "What about this?"

Nagisa touched the bandage. "After Atsuo punched me, he got Takaoka. Takaoka came in, took some blood and found out the drug didn't work on me. I told him about all those times mother trained my body to become immune to drugs and poisons, and he tried to kill me."

Karma nearly fell from his seat and looked at Nagisa, anguished. Before he could speak, Nagisa cut him off. "I dodged before he could. We fought...well, he fought, I just dodged the entire time, until he managed to stab my shoulder. He hurt me some more, and stepped on me-"

"He  _stepped_ on you?"

Nagisa nodded. "Yeah. After that he told me...he told me someone paid him to get me. He wouldn't tell me who, but I think it might be the Asano family."

Karma gritted his teeth. "I'll talk to them later."

"Karma, let me go with you."

"What? No, it's too dangerous!" Karma snapped. Nagisa grabbed his arm. "Please, I deserve to know. We can ask Gakushu Asano when I get out and if he doesn't answer we can confront his dad."

Karma sighed.

"Please?"

"...I'll think about it. Anyway. Go on."

"Huh? Ah, right. So he left to go get grenades so he can make the place explode. And then Atsuo came in and we escaped, and Takaoka died in the explosion. After that, I don't know. I think I hit my head against a tree. I blacked out and woke up this morning here. And later on woke up again to a nurse checking my vitals and she helped give me a bath and then made me some tea. And that's when you came in."

"My god..." Karma shook his head and sighed. "Well, all of that is over now, Nagisa. You're safe now."

"I know," Nagisa smiled.

And he really did.

~

"Alright darling," a nurse stepped into the room with a smile on her face after a couple hours. Karma looked at her with a suspicious look on his face, but when he saw Nagisa's eyes light up, he relaxed. This must be the nurse whose been taking good care of him. She looked at Karma with a surprised look on her face and turned to Nagisa with a smile. "Is this your alpha?" she asked.

Nagisa's face turned red. "H-he's not my alpha!"

"Your boyfriend, then?"

His face went an even deeper shade of red. "He's not my boyfriend either!"

Karma snickered. "Aww, you hurt me, you don't need to hide our relationship," he teased, leaning over and nibbling on Nagisa's earlobe. He made an adorable little squeaking noise. Karma pulled away, throwing his head back and laughing. Nagisa pouted at him. "I thought you were gonna be nice!"

"I'm called the red devil for a reason," he snorted. Nagisa hung his head and muttered to himself. Karma smirked. He missed this. He missed being able to tease Nagisa, and it felt good. Almost nostalgic.

"I'll be taking the needle out now, okay?" she spoke to Nagisa, making him look back over at them. Nagisa looked at her with a small smile. "Thank you, Aiko."

"It's not a problem!" she leaned over, gently plucking the needle out. She set it aside and grabbed a cotton ball, dabbing at the drop of blood that was poking out. She grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around his arm. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. "Alright. I'll be back to bring you some dinner," she took the IV out with her as she left.

"Nice lady," Karma remarked.

"Yeah."

"Think she'll hit me up?" Karma winked.

Nagisa stared at him for a moment before blinking, pink dusting his face. He swatted his arm.

"Karma, you're  _the worst_!"

Karma only laughed.

When Aiko got back, she was holding a tray which consisted of rice, chicken, and sliced cooked carrots. She waved and left again.

Karma eyed the food distastefully. "You probably shouldn't eat that," he advised. Nagisa took an experimental bite of the chicken and grimaced slightly. "Yeah, well, Aiko gave it to me so-"

Karma picked the tray up and walked towards the window, sliding it open and dumping the contents into the bushes afew stories below.

"KARMA!"

"Problem solved." Karma set the tray back on Nagisa's lap.

"KARMA THAT WAS MY DINNER!"

Karma smirked. "Well, now it's the ants dinner."

Nagisa groaned. "Really, Karma. You really are the worst!"

He grinned and ruffled his hair. "Hey, I'll be back. I'll bring you back some  _real_ food, okay? And the latest Sonic Ninja comic too."

Nagisa's eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Really."

"Thank you, Karma!" Nagisa beamed. Karma smirked at him. "Now what was it you said about me being the worst?" he teased. Nagisa flushed and stuck his tongue out. A little think he'd picked up from his taller alpha friend. Karma snickered. "I'll be back in awhile." and with that, he walked out.

~

When Atsuo finished his hospital food, he set the tray aside and leaned back, eyes flitting over to the window. The sun was setting and it was getting dark. It was hard to believe only twenty four hours ago he'd been kidnapping Nagisa. Bringing him in to Takaoka to torture him.

Twenty four hours ago, his friends were alive.

He sighed. Time was funny sometimes.

While he sat there, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't saved Nagisa. If he just let Takaoka blow the place up. Would Takaoka still be alive? Would he be somewhere else, kidnapping more alphas and forcing them to do his dirty work? He didn't know.

Sure, Atsuo was happy with the outcome, but...

_That doesn't mean it hurts knowing all of your friends are dead._

He closed his eyes, a frown twisting at his mouth.

A moment later, the door slid open. Atsuo's eyes wandered to a red haired boy with golden eyes. He wore a long sleeved black shirt and a maroon button up, and black jeans. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes showed anger. Atsuo had no idea who the hell this guy was, but he sure as fuck was scared.

"Are you Atsuo? The one who took Nagisa and helped him?" the redhead asked. Atsuo nodded slowly. The redhead closed his eyes. "Well, thanks for helping him."

"Uh...you're welco-"

A fist connected with his face. Sharp pain shot up from his cheek. He gasped in pain, feeling his vision blur and head go dizzy. He looked at the rehead, who was fuming. "Wha-?" he muttered.

"That's for punching Nagisa."

...Oh. So that's why he punched him.

The redhead got closer to him, grabbing his hospital shirt and lifted him, glaring. "Why the  _fuck_ did you hit him?!" he snapped. Atsuo wanted to cower in fear, but he boldly answered anyway. "If I didn't, we would have all been tortured to death," he said slowly.

"Tch." Karma threw him back on the bed, satisfied when he heard Atsuo's head bang against the metal bed post and his hiss of pain.

He glared at Atsuo again. "You don't hit betas, man. You just don't. As alphas we have to protect them. We protect betas and omegas. You're a damn disgrace," he stormed out.

Atsuo stared after him, jaw dropping slightly. He shook his head and winced at the pain in his head and on his cheek.

_'At least I know Nagisa's in good hands.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Karma don't punch people in the hospital that is r00d >:^


	10. Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma brings Nagisa food.  
> Kaede and the girls visit.  
> Nagisa has a nightmare.  
> Someone is angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I've been getting hurt nonstop since Christmas smh. My left palm has a weird burn on it and so does my right pinkie, and yesterday I fell and injured my mouth like fuckin crazy, I mean I was bleeding ALLOT and now understand that gross feeling when people say "blood filled my mouth". And last night I hit my head, and it's been really hard to focus. So, updates might be abit slower :/ I'll try not to fall behind.

 

When Karma left Atsuo's room, he felt satisfied. When Nagisa let his name slip and informed him that he'd been the one who both kidnapped and helped him, he just wanted to punch the little bastard. Dumping Nagisa's dinner and promising to grab him some food and the sonic ninja comic was the perfect excuse to leave to go do exactly that.

He folded his arms behind his head as he left, strolling to the comic book store to buy the latest sonic ninja comic. After paying for it, he left for WcDonalds. It was quick, and they both liked it.

He paid for Nagisa's usual burger and fry as well as a soda. He took the bag of food and walked back to the hospital, walking past the same lady at the desk. She ignored him and the food he'd been carrying.

He got back to Nagisa's room, with Nagisa just sitting there staring out the window.

"Hey," he tossed the bag with the comic inside of it towards him.

Nagisa jumped as it landed on his lap. He pouted. "Don't throw things at the injured!"

"Sorry," Karma grinned, handing over the WcDonalds bag. "You don't sound sorry," Nagisa huffed, taking his food out. Karma held his hands up with a smirk. "You caught me redhanded."

"Of course I did."

"Rude."

"Says the one who threw my dinner out the window!"

Karma only laughed. "How was that rude? I was saving you from being here longer than necessary!"

Nagisa cracked a smile and took a bite of his food, shaking his head. "You never change," he accused. Karma snorted and pulled up a seat next to him, leaning back. His entire posture was relaxed, but his eyes showed concern. Nagisa furrowed his brows. "Something wrong?" he questioned, biting into a fry.

"No, it's nothing."

Nagisa sighed. "Really, Karma, I know you better than that. You don't have to tell me but please don't lie," he murmured. Karma closed his eyes, looking almost lost in thought. He opened them again, the concern was gone, replaced with something much more playful. "Nah, it's nothing. I'm just disappointed I can't use you as bait to lure out any delinquents," he joked.

Nagisa flung a fry at him. "Karma!"

Karma laughed and picked up the salty fry that'd landed on his pants. He tossed it in his mouth and grinned. "Thanks Nagi."

Nagisa huffed. "I wasn't trying to give you my food," he grumbled. Karma leaned over and poked his cheek. "But you did."

"W-well you were-!"

Karma snickered. "Relax, Nagisa. I'm only playing."

"You're horrible."

"I know."

~

When Kaede and the other girls walked to the hospital, it was past seven. They were still abit tired, but they wanted to see if Nagisa was awake. That was important to them.

They walked into the waiting room and saw the same lady from early that morning sitting there, typing away at her computer. "Um, excuse me? But can we see Nagisa Shiota?" Kaede asked politely.

She glanced up at the girls, instantly recognizing them. She smiled. "Sure, he's in the ninth room."

"Thank you, mam!" the girls opened the door and walked down the corridor to the ninth room, sliding it open once they reached it. They were both surprised and unsurprised to see Karma already there, sitting close to Nagisa, who was indeed awake. And reading a Sonic Ninja comic.

"NAGISA!" Kaede cried happily. Nagisa jumped, dropping the comic on the floor. Karma snickered and picked it up as Kaede and the other girls ran in. Kaede hugged him tightly. "Oh my gosh are you okay?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Y-you're c-crushing me, Kayano!" Nagisa's voice strained. She pulled away immediately. "Sorry! I was just so worried..." she sniffled. Nakamura walked over with a big cheesy grin, but worry clear in her eyes. "You gave us a scare, Nagisa. You shouldn't scare us so much like that!"

"Sorry, Nakamura," Nagisa smiled nervously.

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it~ you're gonna make up for it!" the worry disappeared, replaced by something everyone knew as sinister.

Nagisa sunk down in his bed. "H-how?"

"Well! I saw a very cute dress at the store the other day..." at this, Karma got a grin matching hers.

"NO."

"YES."

"NAKAMURA, I SAID NO!"

"NAGISA, I SAID YES!"

"WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO WEAR A DRESS SO BADLY?!"

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE I'M A BOY!"

"Prove it," Nakamura winked. "I can get him to prove it," Karma joked with a sly grin. Nagisa's face turned bright red and he covered his face. "Oh my god..."

"Can you really prove it?" Kaede asked Karma with a smile. "If Nagisa showed him the goods, Karma will let us know what he has," Nakamura giggled. Okuda giggled in embarrassment. "I kinda wanna know how that'd go down," she said shyly.

Everyone else cracked up as Nagisa's face turned a deeper shade of red. "That's it. I'm done, I hate all of you. Except Kanzaki. Kanzaki, you're my only friend. Everyone else is a doubtful jerk!"

Kanzaki smiled at him. "Thank you, Nagisa."

Kaede pouted and hugged Kanzaki. "No. She's mine," she stuck her tongue out.

"Oh ho~ aren't you possessive?" Nakamura turned to Kaede. Karma followed Nakamura's gaze and smirked.

Nagisa began to sweat. He could practically see the horns from their heads. Kaede blushed. "I, uh, well..." she stammered. Kanzaki turned away, her cheeks dusted pink.

Nagisa and Okuda watched from the side, both sweating as Nakamura and Karma teased them relentlessly, and Kaede and Kanzaki would feebly try to defend their actions. Nagisa turned to Okuda with a dry expression. "I really question how I became friends with them," he admitted. Okuda giggled softly. "I wonder too, sometimes. But they're pretty great, aren't they? It's never a dull day with them," she smiled. Nagisa glanced at them, blinking. Nakamura was nudging Kaede and Karma was grinning evilly at Kanzaki.

"Yeah," a small smile graced his lips.

"Alright everyone, visiting hours are over," a nurse said, sliding the door open.

"Whaaa? But we just got here!" Nakamura complained. The nurse sighed. "He'll still be here tomorrow, for now he has to rest."

"Aww. Okay. Feel better, Nagisa. And remember, when you get out, you're wearing that dress!" Nakamura winked. Nagisa groaned as she skipped out. Kanzaki and Okuda waved as they left. "Feel better soon, Nagisa!" Kaede chirped as she hurried after her friends.

Karma handed Nagisa his comic. "You can keep reading. I'll catch up tomorrow."

Nagisa shook his head. "No, it's fine. I like reading with you, I don't mind waiting," Nagisa said with a small smile. Karma grinned at him. "See you tomorrow then. I'll be back around ten. I'll bring you some breakfast too."

"Don't spend too much money on me," Nagisa grimaced.

"Why not? I'm rich as hell," Karma smirked.

Nagisa rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean you need to waste it all on me," he replied. Karma stuck his tongue out. "You can't tell me what to do. I'll spend all I want on you until you rely solely on me for everything!"

Nagisa twitched.

"See you tomorrow morning!" Karma smirked and left, sliding the door shut behind him.

~

When Karma left, Nagisa marked the page he and Karma left off on and set it on the counter by him. His blue eyes glanced out the window where the sun was gone, and the sky was already dark.

He laid back as he waited for a nurse to check his vitals so he can sleep.

A nurse he didn't recognize came in, chewing gum. She held a chart and glanced at it, then at his heart monitor. She checked something off and started to walk out, leaving Nagisa flabbergasted.

"W-wait aren't you gonna-?"

She looked at him lazily. "I'm sure you're fine. You and your friends were making a ruckus earlier. If you need something the call button is by your bed on the wall," she turned the light off and left, sliding the door closed behind him.

Nagisa sighed. She didn't do her job very well.

Nevertheless, he let his eyes close and let sleep take over.

...

_It's dark. Nagisa was cold. He couldn't move. That was weird. He tried moving again, only to find out he'd been restrained. Fear spiked his heart. Not again. Please, not again._

_Takaoka stood above him, a crazed look of anger on his face. "I said you needed to survive this, brat. Oh well. I can still gain profit from your friend, Kayano." he turned, and a light shone where Kaede was laying, unconscious. Nagisa tried to call out to her, to tell her to get out. But he couldn't. He could only watch helplessly as he stroked her cheek. Anger and fear seeped through his body. "Stop!"_

_"I also have a present for you, Nagisa. It's too bad you're not alive to see it, though. You would've had a hoot," he walked over to the closet and pulled out a limp body. It took Nagisa a second to register the flaming red hair, and the familiar black coat._

_KARMA!_

_He tried to scream, he tried to move, but he couldn't. He looked at Karma helplessly._

_The alpha had bruises littering his face, blood strained his dark clothes. Nagisa wanted to cry. Not Karma. Not Karma. Not Karma. Why did it have to be Karma?!_

_Takaoka dropped Karma and walked back over to Kaede, stabbing her ruthlessly with the injection, and after several minutes of her screaming and crying, begging for help, her body went limp. "Another beta died. Such a shame. And to think..."_

_Takaoka was suddenly in his face. His eyes were crazed, and he had a sinister smile etched unnaturally across his face. "You did this. You could have prevented their deaths! It's your fault!" he started to laugh._

_No..._

_Kaede stood from the table, head hung as if in defeat. She looked at him with lifeless eyes. "Why, Nagisa? Why would you let this happen?" she asked._

_I didn't want this to happen..._

_"You let this happen."_

_You're wrong!_

_"Nagisa..." Karma was suddenly there, his vacant golden eyes looked at him in anger and betrayal. "I can't believe you put me through this."_

_Karma..._

_"After all I've done for you!"_

_Karma, please, I-_

_"I wish we never met."_

_Karma, don't-!_

_And then, Karma said the three words Nagisa hoped he'd never say._

_"I hate you."_

_..._

Nagisa jolted upright from his nightmare. He didn't realize he was screaming until Aiko ran in. She hurried to his side and gave him a gentle hug. "Shh, what's wrong?" she asked. Nagisa began to tremble, quieting down. "I...I had a nightmare," he fumbled out. Aiko hummed lightly as she rubbed his back sympathetically.

"M-Miss Aiko? My friends don't hate me, do they?" tears welled up in his eyes.

Her own eyes widened. "Of course not, dear. They still love and care for you. You'll be okay, Nagisa. And your friends won't hate you," she assured him. He looked down, clenching the white sheets tightly in his hands. She smiled at him and walked out. She came back a minute later with some water. He gingerly took it from her and sipped it. His nerves had calmed down considerably. But he didn't want to go back to sleep. He couldn't.

"What time is it?" he asked quietly. Aiko glanced at her watch. "Its a little past midnight," she answered. Nagisa winced.

This was going to be a long night.

~

"I said I want this fixed. Why is it I have to do everything myself?" an angry voice complained to themself. "It's that rat Atsuo who got Nagisa out."

They threw a lamp at the wall in anger.

"I can't believe Takaoka was so stupid he got himself killed. It wasn't part of the agreement to kill Nagisa. I knew that foolish man was mentally unwell. I'll be taking matters into my own hand. No more relying on other people." they took a knife out from their pocket.

"I think I'll start by killing that damn boy Atsuo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this chapter was really awkward and kinda stupid.. >_< if you can't tell from Nagisa and Karma reading together I've been hooked on Doki Doki Literature Club...I really love Natsuki!


	11. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiromi visits Nagisa.  
> Karma talks to Isogai.  
> Atsuo is visited by Kaede.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished DDLC. Yikes ;-; but now I shall be waiting for PROJECT LIBITINA !

 

Throughout Sunday, Karma stayed with Nagisa, giving him food and reading Sonic Ninja with him. It was oddly peaceful, but Nagisa didn't mind. He liked it when it was peaceful. Especially when it involved Karma. He knew Karma wasn't really this way with anyone else. It made him feel special and warm all over.

"Well, that was a lackluster ending," Karma huffed as they finished on Monday afternoon. Nagisa looked at him in surprise. "How was it lackluster? I think it left off on a nice cliffhanger," he said. Karma shook his head. "It wasn't nice. You can clearly tell when he's gonna come in and they just want to dangle it here, thinking we don't know what's gonna happen next."

Nagisa flushed. He couldn't tell where it was going, but Karma was smart. Of course he'd have it figured out.

"Well, maybe if Nazzoni made this into a movie, he'd at least make it a little more interesting," Karma shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe," Nagisa decided to humor him. He thought the comic was great.

Before Karma could reply, there was a light tap at the door. Both boys looked up in confusion. "Uhh, come in," Nagisa called nervously.

The door opened, and, much to Nagisa and Karma's surprise, Nagisa's mother, Hiromi Shiota, walked in, a look of worry on her face.

"Mom!" Nagisa was stunned, "I thought you weren't gonna be back until tomorrow."

"That was the plan. But your friend Isogai gave me a call the other morning. He said you were in the hospital. My poor baby," she walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Nagisa shared a look with Karma. He didn't want to explain it again. He didn't want to relive the horrors he went through. Karma had been doing a great job of keeping his mind off of it. But now his mother wanted an explanation. He couldn't refuse her, but...

"M-mom? Can we talk about this later? Please? I really-"

"Nagisa," Hiromi sounded less patient, using her tone of warning, "I am your mother. I have a right to know what happened to my little boy. Now, if I were you, I'd listen and tell your worried mother about what happened."

Nagisa sighed.

"With all due respect, he is the one who went through hell. As a mother, shouldn't you be comforting him? Telling him to talk about it when he's ready?" Karma asked with a raised brow. Nagisa's eyes widened as his mother turned to him with a blank glare. "What kind of friend to Nagisa are you, talking to his mother like that? I'm worried about my baby boy and I deserve to know everything! How dare you talk like that to me!"

Nagisa flinched as Hiromi's voice grew louder. Karma remained unfazed as she glared at him.

"Wow," he drawled, "touchy, aren't we?"

"Karma," Nagisa hissed.

"I'm doing what's best for him! Mother knows best!" Hiromi snapped.

Karma shoved his hands in his pockets. "That doesn't mean all mothers know what's best," he said smoothly.

" _Karma, stop,"_ Nagisa begged quietly. Karma looked at him with furrowed brows, as if to say  _I'm not leaving you alone with this psycho lady._

Nagisa only smiled weakly and motioned he was hungry. Karma sighed and glanced back at Hiromi, who was still glaring at him. She didn't notice the exchange. Karma offered a forced smile. "I'm sorry about my attitude, mam. And you're right. I'll be on my way," he said pleasantly before walking out, sliding the door shut behind him.

"The nerve of that boy..!" Hiromi growled.

"Mom, it's okay, really. Today was just stressful for him," Nagisa attempted to calm her down. She gave him a wary look but sat down with a sigh. "Anyway. Nagisa I want to know what happened. How did you get yourself in the hospital while I was on my business trip?"

"Well..."

~

When Karma left, he was seething. His mother just came in out of nowhere and started acting bitchy. He hated Nagisa's mom. She was way too controlling.

He meant it when he said not all mothers knew what was best. Hiromi controls everything in Nagisa's life. From what school he goes to, even to how long his hair is. If it were up to Nagisa, he knew he'd have his hair cut. But Karma had to wonder, if Nagisa did cut his hair, what would his mother do? Surely she doesn't get physical with him, right? He's never seen a bruise on his beta friends face, nor his arms or wrists. Typically, that's where someone like her would injure him, right?

He wasn't so sure.

She better not lay a fucking finger on him.

Nagisa Shiota was  _his_ beta-

Karma stopped, surprised at his own thoughts.

_'Did I just mentally claim him?'_

He shook his head quickly.

 _'No. Nagisa isn't mine. As much as I want the little runt by my side he isn't- what the hell am I thinking?!'_ Karma wanted to punch something. He's never had these thoughts before. Sure, he's always had protective thoughts about Nagisa, but the thoughts running through his head were full-on possessive. Was this a personality flaw? Or was this his alpha instincts kicking in? He didn't know.

Annoyed, he yanked his phone from his pants pocket as he left the hospital. He dialed in Isogai's number, grateful that Maehara had given him a phone for his fifteenth birthday. He'd sworn to only ever use it for emergencies, since he'd felt guilty about the expensive gift.

Isogai was the best guy to ask about this.

Asking Terasaka, Muramatsu, or Yoshida was out of the question. They were too barbaric and frankly haven't found a beta they cared much for.

Asking Itona was a possibility...but he didn't care for romance or finding a beta. He was content on his own.

The thought of asking Karasuma briefly passed his mind, but he dismissed the idea almost immediately. The man was too serious. He doesn't show much affection towards his own beta wife, Irina Jelavic.

Finding out she was a beta honestly surprised him. She was so confident and strong he thought she was a alpha. But no, she was just an exceptional beta. Very rare, indeed.

He brought his phone to his ear as it began to ring for Isogai. After five rings, Isogai answered.

_"Hey Karma, what's up?"_

"I have a question," Karma said bluntly, "I'm asking as an alpha."

 _"Okay..."_ he sounded wary.

"How did you know Maehara was your beta?"

 _"...That's abit of a difficult question to just spring on me,"_ there was nervous chuckling but he continued anyway.  _"I mean, we hit it off the moment we met. And after a couple years I just felt the need to protect him."_

"Did the need just come out of nowhere?"

_"Well, no, the urge was already there. Probably just alpha instincts saying protect my beta friend. But one day he saved me from getting hit by a car. He ended up in the hospital with a broken leg. Seeing him hurt just made my instincts snap."_

"So did you begin feeling possessive?"

 _"Possessive?"_ he sounded staggered.  _"W-well, I mean, I guess? The thought of another alpha taking him away usually annoyed me, but that's the extent of it. It was most likely my feelings for him that made me feel that way, rather my alpha instincts."_

"Hmm. So lets say an alpha and a beta have been friends for afew years. One day, the alpha feels abit possessive. What do you think? Does that mean that's his beta?"

It was quiet for a moment.  _"Karma, are you harboring feelings for Nagisa?"_

"Just answer the damn question!"

_"...Well, what does the alpha feel? Does the alpha feel the possessiveness of the beta being an object-"_

"Of course not!" Karma cut him off sharply, "the alpha respects the beta as a human being and just wants to protect him from people who hurt them!"

_"In that case, I think it's pretty normal for an alpha to feel that protective. As long as he doesn't treat the beta like he has no free will."_

"Of course not!"

_"Then in that case, it really is sweet then. I mean, the alpha must really care about the beta a great deal if he still treats the beta regularly but is that protective."_

"I guess."

_"...I'm glad Nagisa has someone like you to be his alpha."_

Karma nearly fell. "What?! I- I never said-!"

_"Karma, as a fellow alpha, I gotta say, you're way too easy to read."_

Karma glared at his phone as if it was Isogai himself. "Just shut the hell up. So I may like Nagisa. Big deal!"

 _"It is a big deal!"_ the fucker actually laughed.  _"Alphas and betas have a strong connection with one another, especially when they find that certain someone."_

"I'm hanging up now," Karma said blankly. He heard Isogai's laughter just as he pressed End Call.

_'Stupid smug bastard. Who does he think he is to call me out like that?'_

Bye bye, pride.

~

Kaede walked into Atsuo's room that evening. "Hey, Atsuo! Feeling any better?" she asked cheerfully. She hadn't seen him since Saturday morning, but things happen. Things like catching up on sleep and making pudding. Priorities.

"Hm?" Atsuo glanced at her. "Kayano, right?"

Kaede giggled. "Yep! You remembered!"

"I don't usually forget things very easily. Anyway..."

"Look! I made you some get well pudding! I didn't know what flavor you liked, so I made vanilla with chocolate on top and hot caramel melted!" she took the bowl from its wrapper and presented it to him with a proud smile. Atsuo blinked and smiled awkwardly. "Actually, I'm not one for sweets."

"What?" Kaede looked devastated.

Unable to say no to such a face, he reached for it and took it from her hands, picking up the spoon and shoving a bite into his mouth. She watched with wide eyes. He tried not to cringe at the taste. It wasn't bad, he just didn't like sweets all that much. But...it was strangely comforting. Wanting to cling to that comfort, he took another bite.

"It's delicious, actually. Thank you," he smiled.

Her face lit up again.

"So, was there another reason for coming here? Surely it wasn't just to give me pudding. You don't know me."

Kaede pouted. "Well, I wanna get to know you. I mean you seem so lonely."

"So...it's out of pity," Atsuo said blankly.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! I want to be friends!" Kaede stomped her foot. "I didn't mean I wanna be with you out of pity! I mean you're lonely and need a friend and I wanna be that friend!"

Atsuo blinked in surprise.

"Besides..." her demeanor changed as she grinned. "You've already taken a bite of my Pudding of Friendship! So now you have to be friends with me!"

"What kind of rule is that?!"

"My rule!" she giggled childishly.

Atsuo shook his head. "The nurses said I'll be out of here tomorrow. And as long as I take care of my thumb nail and don't let it get infected, I'll be fine."

"Oh! That's good to hear!" Kaede smiled.

Atsuo stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, but now what? I'm just waiting for the cops to haul me in. I know it's gonna happen."

Kaede looked down. "Well...yeah, but you were made a victim, right? We'll be sure to testify for you so you don't go to jail," she said meekly. Atsuo nearly laughed. How naive was this girl? He kidnapped people and helped sell them off illegally. It doesn't matter that he was a victim. He still contributed to illegal things. And honestly, he didn't mind being arrested. This was his retribution. He could never condone for what he's done. The things he's said and done.

But he was willing to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was pretty boring wasn't it? Anyway I'll try to update again tomorrow morning.


	12. Brute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa stands up to Hiromi.  
> Karma encounters a former bully.  
> Kaede remembers meeting Nagisa and Karma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, as promised! Here nyall go! :D

 

"...I see..." Hiromi said quietly. She'd been silent throughout Nagisa's entire explanation, stroking his hair whenever he'd get choked up at a memory. She gave him a hug. "My poor baby boy...I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You didn't deserve that."

Her arms weren't warm as Karma's. They didn't make him feel safe like Karma's. Nagisa didn't want his mom to hug him. He wanted Karma to hug him.

Well, he was happy that his mother was being so caring, but after years of abuse, he'd grown accustomed to Karma hugging him for comfort. So having his mother do it just felt foreign.

"Well, mother is back now," Hiromi smiled, "so now you're safe. And now you don't have to see that dreadful boy."

"Wait mom, no, he's been my friend for years! He protects me and is there for me! Don't ban him from my room!"

"Nagisa. If he protects you, you wouldn't have gotten kidnapped. Now hush now, I'll let the nurse know not to let that red haired boy back in."

"But mom-!" he saw Hiromi's glare and instantly shut his mouth. She stood up and started to walk out. Just as she reached the door, Nagisa snapped.

"You can't control my life like this!"

She paused. "Excuse me?"

"Y-you heard me!" Nagisa gulped as she turned back to him, but he pressed on. "I- I can overlook the fact you make my hair grow out, I can overlook you dressing me up like some barbie doll, I can overlook you wanting me to go to top universities, I can overlook you bribing my teachers. But I can't overlook you choosing my friends too! Karma has been my best friend for years! He really does protect me, and the night I got kidnapped? That was my fault! Yeah, don't give me that look! I told him I'd walk by myself even though I knew the dangers! This part of my life is mine. You can't stop me from being friends with Karma. I really care about him. And if you try to keep him away from me, then I'll never forgive you. He's a part of my life that I feel was my choice to be my friend."

Hiromi walked over to him, a look of furious disbelief on her face. "Are you...are you defying your own mother?"

"I'm sorry mom. But Karma's my friend and you can't keep me from him. Or him from me."

"Nagisa, do you not understand? Open your eyes! He's a filthy alpha! He looks at you like you're property!"

"And you  _treat_ me like I'm property!"

"I only want what's best for you!"

"By making me grow my hair out?! By forcing me into pink dresses?! I'm not a girl! I'm a boy! That's not doing what's best! I'm not your personal doll!"

"Shut  _up_! I am your mother, Nagisa! I brought you into this world! I suffered and spent money on you! I sent you to cram school and private school! You have no idea how much it cost me! YOU OWE ME!"

"Mom, you're wrong. But, you're right."

Hiromi remained silent, staring at him expectantly.

"I do owe you for all that you've done for me. But, isn't that your job as a mother? As a female alpha?"

Hiromi opened her mouth to respond, but Nagisa cut her off. "Just leave my friends to me. If your'e gonna control my life, then let me have control over who my friends are."

_'After all, they're the reasons I'm still sane.'_

~

As Karma walked down the street, he idly wondered what he should bring Nagisa for dinner. They've been having WcDonalds for dinner these past few nights, so something else would be the best idea.

Maybe some sushi from Nagisa's favorite cafe? It was pretty cold out, so he didn't have to worry about the heat spoiling it.

_'Yeah, I'll get him some sushi. He'll appreciate that,'_ Karma let a small smile cross his face. Nagisa's favorite food was sushi, so this would be a nice little treat. Karma only aimed to please, after all. Well, when it came to Nagisa, anyway.

He changed direction to head towards the cafe, hands stuffed in his pockets. His body was involuntarily shivering slightly. Mid December was too cold for his liking.

As he passed by an alley, he heard a voice chuckling. He paused, raising his brows.

"Karma Akabane. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

Karma looked bored. "Look, whoever you are, I'm busy, so kindly leave me alone."

"Oh so you don't mind me taking Nagisa, good. I'd been dying to get my hands on him."

"...What the hell did you just say?" Karma's voice was an octave lower. Anger was coming off of him in waves. He glared at the alley where a faint silhouette was. His hand twitched in frustration.

"I've been dying to get my hands on him. I've noticed he's gotten rather...attractive."

"Shut up."

"His hips have gotten considerably wider, it's actually pretty hot on a beta male."

"I said  _shut up._ "

"You know what I really want to do, though? I want to have him underneath me, I want to feel his soft skin under mine. I want to make him scream my name. I bet his ass is nice and firm-"

Karma lunged for the silhouette. He only saw red now.  _No one_ talked about his Nagisa like that. He slammed the male against the ground, pinning him down. He was sitting on the guy's hips with his hard thighs on either side. His hand was wrapped around his throat, but not squeezing too hard. Now able to see his face, Karma recognized him. It was one of Nagisa's constant tormentors. The one who'd always talk shit, but never actually do anything. Karma's been wanting to punch him for awhile now.

"What's wrong,  _Akabane_? Hmm? Did I strike a nerve?" the idiot croaked a laugh. "If you want to walk out of this without going to the hospital yourself, I'd shut your damn mouth."

He smirked but remained silent.

"Why the hell are you here?"

No answer.

Karma removed his hand from his throat and grabbed his shirt, yanking his upper body up before slamming him back down painfully. "Cut the shit. If you go  _anywhere near_ Nagisa, I swear I'll kill you," he snarled. "Why? Did you claim him?" he snorted.

"Maybe I did," Karma shot back.

A look of surprise and something akin to fear crossed his eyes. As if he hadn't really expected such an answer. If anything, he'd thought Karma would say something like,  _no, I'm his friend._

Karma lifted a fist and slammed it against his ugly face. And again. And again. And again. And again.

" _Never_ talk about Nagisa like that. He's not your toy. He's a human being whose been through hell!" Karma ceased his punching, opting to glare at him. His eyes were soulless and dark. "Why do you look so surprised? What did you expect when you were talking like that about Nagisa?!"

"I...I wanted you to get over here so we can have a rematch!"

"A rematch?" Karma barked out a laugh. "I've never even touched you before today."

"So you don't remember!"

"Remember what?"

"In primary school! You shoved me in the mud in front of a girl I liked!"

Karma stared at him blankly before realization dawned on him. He straightened up, his fist lightly hitting the palm of his hand. "Oh yeah. You were the guy who kept taking other peoples lunch money. If I recall correctly, you were the one who stole my strawberry milk."

"Th-that-!"

"Wow," Karma smirked, "you've really lost some balls over the years."

"Shut up! I-!"

Karma lifted his upper body up again and slammed him down again. "See, this is where you're screwing up. You don't get to tell me to shut up. Not when you're the one whose below me."

"You self righteous-!"

Karma punched him again. He was about to taunt him further, but noticed his eyes were closed. Ah. He knocked him out.

He slowly got off of him, his chin up as he glared down at him distastefully.

"What scum. As I've said earlier. Don't come anywhere near Nagisa."

~

Kaede sat alone in her home with a small sigh. She wanted to befriend Atsuo, he needed friends. She could see that. Beyond that, she was grateful for his help. Sure, he'd kidnapped Nagisa in the first place, but he still helped him.

"Oh Nagisa..." she sighed aloud, "you're such a trouble magnet. We worry about you, you know? But...then again, you've always been like that, haven't you?"

-

_Kaede Kayano was a transfer student. She was guided by the vice principal to her first class, where she was relatively early to class. There was only one other boy there. His hair was in a low ponytail. He was working on, what Kaede assumed was, homework._

_"You can ask anyone for help if you need it. Good luck," the vice principal left._

_Kaede approached the blue haired boy, noticing his vacant eyes._

_"Hi!" she gave him a big smile._

_His eyes glanced up from his worksheet. He didn't say anything for a minute, but he relented. "Hi."_

_"I'm new here! My name is Kaede Kayano! It's nice to meet you!"_

_"Sure."_

_"Your hair is pretty long," Kaede noted. He grimaced. "Yeah, I want to cut it, but I can't. So I just use a ponytail to help keep it out of my face."_

_Kaede frowned and walked forward, removing his ponytail and quickly putting his hair up into high pigtails. "There we go! Now we match!" she giggled. The boy touched his hair, eyes wide in amazement. It was like he realized now his long hair was less noticeable and was successfully kept out of his face._

_"Th-thank you," he stammered._

_Kaede only giggled._

_"Um...my name is Nagisa Shiota. Please call me Nagisa, though, I don't like being called Shiota that much."_

_"Okay!" she looked around and pointed at the desk behind him. "Is this seat taken?" she asked. He shook his head. "No, the guy who sat there just moved recently, so he's going to be attending a different school."_

_"That's funny!" Kaede set her stuff down on the desk. Nagisa turned slightly with a curious look. "How so?"_

_"Well, he transferred out, and I transferred in!"_

_Nagisa let the corners of his lips turn upwards. Kaede noticed his eyes were less vacant. She inwardly cheered. She managed to gain a friend and cheer said friend up!_

_"Hey, Nagisa, I'm here early like I promised." a new voice rang out. Nagisa's eyes brightened much more and he turned to the voice. Kaede followed his gaze and saw a tall red haired male with golden eyes walking over to them._

_"Karma!"_

_"Woah, Nagisa, trying out a new hairstyle?"_

_"Yep! I think I'm gonna keep it this way too," Kaede smiled at the happiness in his tone of voice._

_"Anyway...you said you needed help with algebra, right?" the guy, 'Karma', sat on the desk next to Nagisa's._

_Nagisa grimaced. "Yeah."_

_"Well, it's pretty simple, really. You see, in this problem, you didn't factor out the x first. After that you multiply these, and divide these, and then cross multiply here, and then you got your answer."_

_Nagisa followed Karma's instructions. When he finished the problem, Karma looked over it and nodded. "Right. Then its the same for the last few."_

_"Oh!" Nagisa smiled. "I get it. Thanks, Karma!"_

_"No problem. Whose this?" Karma seemed to have finally noticed Kaede. Kaede smiled at him. "I'm Kaede Kayano!"_

_"Ahhh. Karma Akabane."_

_"Wait! You're Karma AKABANE? Like, THE Karma Akabane?"_

_Nagisa and Karma shared a confused look, but Karma nodded anyway. "The one and only."_

_"Woah! But, you don't have devil horns or an evil tail! Your teeth aren't sharp as nails! Your hands aren't claws!"_

_"What the hell kind of image was in your mind?" Nagisa and Karma both asked blankly._

_Kaede sighed. "Sorry, it's just, the vice principal warned me about you. But you seem so nice," she said. Karma snorted. "Ohh I get it. Wow, telling transfer students there's a literal devil in class is pretty harsh." he sounded amused. Nagisa elbowed him. "Well maybe if you didn't act like you owned the school and followed the rules..."_

_"Oh please, you said so yourself, you admire me," Karma said smugly. Nagisa blushed. "I...I never said that!"_

_Kaede giggled. The two boys were obviously close friends._

_After awhile, some more people came in. One boy in particular glared at Karma. "Akabane, you're sitting on my desk," he grumbled. Karma rose an eyebrow. "So? It's not classtime yet, and you never sit in your seat until the bell rings anyway," he retorted. Nagisa sighed and tugged on Karma's arm. "Just get off his desk, Karma."_

_"Heh, didn't know your little friend was such a pussy," he snickered. Nagisa looked away. Before Karma could say anything, Kaede stood up and took afew steps towards the bully._

_"Excuse me, but that was rude! You need to apologize!"_

_"Or what, new girl? You gonna cry for mommy?"_

_A slap resounded the room, rendering everyone silent. Everyone looked at the guy, whose head was thrown to the side was thrown to the side from impact, a red handprint on his cheek. Kaede pulled her hand away and put her hands on her little hips. "For your information, my 'mommy' is dead! I live with my big sister! You jerk! Bully!" Tears sprung to Kaede's eyes. She missed her mom so much..._

_"Way to go, jerk!" a girl said in irritation. A girl with light brown hair and bangs falling straight on her forehead walked over and gave Kaede a small hug and glared at the guy. "You made a girl cry!"_

_"I hope you feel good about yourself!" another girl, one with chocolate brown hair tied in a high ponytail chimed in sarcastically._

_The guy went red in the face as the girls sympathized with Kaede and glared at the guy. He stormed off._

_Karma snickered. "Wow, never thought I'd see the day where Lin would storm away like that."_

_Kaede blinked. She did this. Was that good? The look in Nagisa and Karma's eyes said yes._

_-_

Kaede smiled lightly and rested her head on the table.

"Oh well. You're still my best guy friend, Nagisa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go ! So, yep.


	13. Worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma comes back.  
> Nagisa thinks about his feelings.  
> Atsuo gets attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sleeping schedule is soooo off...

 

When Karma came back, Hiromi was gone, and Nagisa was sitting up, looking down, his hands gripping the white sheets so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. He rushed over, eyeing him in concern. The only difference, other than attitude, was that his hair was slightly ruffled. As if it'd been grabbed. His eyes narrowed. "Nagisa," he said quietly.

Nagisa didn't move, but he did speak softly. "Is that sushi I smell?"

"Yeah. It is. But Nagisa-"

"I love sushi."

"I know. Nagisa, are-"

"I'm glad you gave me something healthy, instead of a burger and fry." At this, Karma figured out Nagisa was avoiding confrontation. Oh hell no, he needed to make sure Nagisa was okay.

"Nagisa, listen-"

"Not that I have a problem with WcDonalds, but eating greasy foods all the time isn't good for you."

" _Nagisa."_ Karma was beginning to get impatient.

"Oh wait, shit, Karma wasn't this expensive? Sushi gets really, really-"

"NAGISA!"

His raised voice instantly shut Nagisa up. Karma sighed, running a hand through his red hair. "Are you okay?" he finally asked. Nagisa looked up at him. Karma was shocked to see tears pricking at his eyes. Did he cause that? Or was he fighting tears this entire time? He didn't know. He wasn't sure he  _wanted_ to know. However, Nagisa's answer annoyed him.

"I'm fi-"

"Don't give me that shit, Nagisa. You're on the verge of tears. Tell me, what did that bitch say, or do?" Karma held the bag of sushi away, "you're not getting this until you answer me." Nagisa pouted. "Well, I wasn't hungry that much anyway," he grumbled. His body appeared to have wanted to tell him otherwise, because right after that, his stomach growled loudly. Nagisa's face reddened in embarrassment, and Karma smirked. "Really, now? So then you wouldn't mind me tossing this out the window?" he taunted. Nagisa's eyes widened. "Don't do that! I mean, y-you spent so much money, I wouldn't want that to go to waste," he stammered.

"Mhm. Lots," Karma had to hold back laughter at Nagisa's nervous expression. Between being hungry and knowing Karma spent allot on him, Karma knew he had him trapped. He leaned in slightly, still holding the bag out of reach. Ah, the pleasures of being tall. He  _was_ almost 6'. In fact, currently, he was 5'11".

Meanwhile, Nagisa hadn't grown a single centimeter. He was still 5'2".

Nagisa pouted. "It's really nothing, though. She was mad at you, wanted you to be banned from visiting, I told her no, she grabbed me and shook me and told me-" he paused, the tears coming back. Karma was already seething. How dare she hurt him like that?

"What did she say, Nagisa?"

"Sh-she s-said...w-well, it doesn't matter, it's nothing I haven't heard before-"

" _Nagisa._ " Karma's tone was warning. Nagisa flinched slightly and lowered his head. "She told me I'm a horrible son. That if I had been born a girl, that I would be much more polite. She told me if I had control of my life, I wouldn't be worth shit. That she made me decently important, and that even she can't fix how worthless I am."

Karma snapped.

"Nagisa, don't you  _dare_ listen to what that bitch says. You know damn well how important you are to people!" When Nagisa opened his mouth to answer, Karma cut him off. "No, don't speak yet. You need to know how important and precious you are to us. To me. When you were kidnapped, do you not know how  _terrified_ I was? And not just me! Kayano even slapped me for letting this happen. Isogai, Maehara, Nakamura, Kanzaki, and Okuda were worried as hell too. We all searched for you for  _hours._ If we didn't care, if you weren't important, we wouldn't have even bothered. You know that Nakamura and I aren't the types to look for people we don't care about. But we searched until  _three in the morning._ When we could have been  _sleeping._ Still believe you're worthless? Well then listen to this. I came by your house a little after  _eight._ Barely two hours since you left. Does that mean  _anything_ to you? Does that alone not prove shit? I almost cried when I realized you were gone. I almost cried when I remembered people kidnapped were never found again. All of us were terrified of losing you.  _Especially me._ You may be asking yourself why I keep mentioning myself and brushing it off as alpha instincts. Well, I've finally come to terms with my feelings. I  _will_ protect you, Nagisa. No matter how much you think you can handle yourself, you're not getting rid of me  _anytime soon._ "

Nagisa stared, jaw dropped at Karma's monologue.

This was...allot to take in, Karma could tell he was overwhelmed.

Nagisa rubbed his head. "...Karma? What did you mean by 'come to terms with your feelings'..?" he asked quietly.

Karma's face dusted a light pink. "It's nothing," he muttered, disappointed. He really thought Nagisa would understand what he meant. He should've realized Nagisa was sill naive about this stuff. That he wasn't used to affection. Nagisa's face fell slightly, but he nodded anyway.

Karma handed Nagisa the bag of sushi. Nagisa sat silently for a minute but took the food out anyway, taking a small bite of the sushi. Karma was dying to know what was on Nagisa's mind, but he didn't want to pry. Not after his apparently overwhelming monologue.

"What's on your mind?" he asked anyway. He  _was_ Karma Akabane after all. Always speaking when he wanted. Nagisa looked abit surprised but shook his head. "Nothing, I'm just surprised that you all...care about me, so much."

"Of course we do!" Karma said with determination. He wanted Nagisa to believe he was worth more than he could comprehend. He'd even hinted out that he loved Nagisa, which the boy was too naive to pick up on, much to his distress. Looks like he'd have to wait for a better time to clarify what he meant. Oh well. Now wasn't really the right time anyway.

"...Thank you, Karma."

"Huh?" Karma jerked back to reality, "what for?"

"I mean, you're always there for me, even when I'm down. When I feel like I'm worth nothing. When I feel like curling up and dying. When I feel like dropping to my knees and screaming. When I cry, you're there, gentle, serious, and wiping my tears away. You're special to me too, Karma. You were...my first friend. I'm grateful. If you hadn't become my friend, I would probably be dead now. And not from being kidnapped."

Karma felt his chest tighten. He easily figured out that Nagisa meant suicide. He carefully sat at the edge of the bed, eyeing him for any discomfort. Finding none, he leaned over, giving him a hug. "You were my first friend too. You were never afraid of me, despite knowing, and even seeing, how psychotic I could get when beating someone up."

"Well, I knew you weren't a bully, you were too nice."

"Nice?" Karma barked out a laugh. He never showed his 'nice' side before befriending Nagisa.

Nagisa blushed but continued. "I mean, I've heard you confront bullies, telling them how wrong they were, and when you helped me that first time, my suspicions were confirmed. You let yourself get suspended without any regrets. I admired how bold you were. I still do. You're like the perfect alpha," he smiled.

Karma stared at him with a blush. He buried his face in Nagisa's hair, smelling that same blueberry shampoo from the first day.

He wasn't sure if Nagisa felt it, but he felt even closer to him than before.

~

Karma left when visiting hours were over, much to Nagisa's dismay. He wanted to stay in Karma's arms longer. His small body was enveloped in the alphas body. He felt safe and warm in his arms. He loved the feeling. Especially after what he'd been through recently. Karma's hugs were warm, genuine, and somewhat rare.

It was...different, from his mother's hugs. Her hug felt like a rattlesnake. Venomous, tight, ready to strike. He didn't feel safe. He felt like his blood would run cold when hugged by her.

He sighed and laid his head back, staring at the ceiling. Was this feeling normal? Did he really simply admire Karma, and care for him as a good friend? It didn't feel the same as when they first became friends. Lately, it's been different.

Sure, Karma's been there under the tree behind the school, wiping away his tears, murmuring soothing words of encouragement. He was always there when he finds Nagisa being tormented, being beaten up, or there when he can't reach something.

Nagisa couldn't for the life of him figure it out. His brows furrowed.

Karma had said that he'd come to terms with his feelings. What did he mean? Was he simply accepting a role as an alpha for him? ...That couldn't be it. Otherwise he wouldn't have helped Nagisa so much throughout the years.

Maybe he was accepting him as a friend.

Nagisa felt panic rise in his chest, he faintly heard the heart monitor begin beeping rapidly.

_'What if all this time, he'd only been being a good alpha, but really hated me?!'_

That had to be it. Why else would he be there for someone as worthless as him?

Suddenly, Karma's words echoed in his mind.

_"When you were kidnapped, do you not know how terrified I was?"_

Nagisa bit his lip. So, barely accepting him as a friend was crossed out. So what in the hell did he mean? Nagisa groaned and laid down, brows twitching in agitation.

Karma was so unpredictably confusing.

~

It was around 11pm when Atsuo woke up. He blinked, confused. Why did he wake up? He knew he didn't have a nightmare of any sort. How odd. This hasn't happened before. Maybe it was because the hospital beds weren't very comfortable. Yeah, that was probably it.

He turned on his side, prepared to attempt to go back to sleep.

However, he heard a footstep. A single footstep. Judging from that one footstep, Atsuo knew it wasn't a nurse. Their footsteps were quick and much more quiet, as to not wake him up.

He jolted up, noticing a figure near his window and figured out that they'd climbed through the window. How the hell they managed to get to the third floor was  _beyond_ him.

The figure wore all white, their face was covered. Their clothes were baggy, but still looked like a man's body.

But his attention was on the large knife in their hand.

Before the mystery person could move, Atsuo gripped the sheet and yanked it off, throwing it at them. It landed on their face. Atsuo leaped on the other side of the bed, wishing he had a weapon of some sort.

The person ripped the sheet off. Though he couldn't see their face, he could feel the piercing glare.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Atsuo demanded.

The person didn't answer, they only lunged, jumping on the bed and leaping forward, the tip of their knife aimed at him. Atsuo dodged, throwing is arms out on either side of the arm that held the knife. He twisted his body and flipped them over, with them landing on their back painfully. Atsuo ripped the knife out of their hand the moment their back hit the ground, taking advantage of their pain. He straddled the person. He held the knife to their throat, similar to how Hideki had with Nagisa.

The person didn't move.

"You never answered me. Who are you, and what do you want from me?" Atsuo asked much more calmer. The person moved at lightning speed, grabbing his wrists and twisting. He bit his tongue to avoid crying out in pain. He dropped the knife, with the knife landing on the floor by their head. The person flung Atsuo to the side, grabbing the knife.

Before either could move, they heard a commotion. Doctors and nurses were running down the hall. The person tensed and bolted past Atsuo, leaping out the window.

_'What the hell?! They're crazy!'_ Atsuo thought as he sat up, eyes wide. The door slid open and a doctor and some nurses rushed in, noticing Atsuo on the floor. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?" a nurse asked worriedly. "Are you hurt?" another asked. Atsuo never answered. He only stared at the window in disbelief.

_Who the in hell was that person?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the mystery person has attacked 0_0
> 
> Also ! Guys ! Guess what ! Me and one of my friends sang "Doki Doki Forever" which was actually super fun! We sound really awkward but we had to do it separately since we live in different cities.  
> Here's the actual song: https://youtu.be/I10uxTHryVc  
> And here's our singing: https://vocaroo.com/i/s07ziwRq9vLL she sang as Sayori and Monika, and I sang as Natsuki and Yuri. I had to do mine outside, so you can clearly hear the wind.


	14. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atsuo talks to Nagisa and Karma.  
> Karma and Atsuo do research.  
> Mystery Person visits Nagisa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life can be a big douche- I'm in severe pain, and I'm frustrated to the point of tears. What better way to take my stress out on than my gaybies?  
> But basically, a couple weeks ago, I'd been asked to move some boxes in the attic. So I did, but when I moved one there was a GIANTASS SPIDER JUST STANDING THERE. I ended up dropping the box and stumbling back and fell out. My entire backside crashed against the concrete in the garage and my entire back has a bruise on it, and I had a minor concussion. Well, earlier, I slipped and fell in the kitchen and tried to catch myself and my still-bruised back hit the counter. Pain meds ain't helping.  
> Plus earlier I accidentally bit my lip into bleeding again.  
> Life is being very cruel to me right now.  
> Anyway, shut up Lexi no one cares XD enjoy this shit chapter.

 

When Atsuo was released from the hospital the next day, he immediately went to Nagisa's room. He was sitting up, his head was still wrapped up, and he could still see the bandages wrapped around Nagisa's shoulder, and even though the hospital shirt hid it, Atsuo guessed that he still had bandages on his sides too.

"Oh! Hey, Atsuo!" Nagisa looked pleasantly surprised. The redhead that Atsuo instantly recognized grimaced. Not at the bruise on Atsuo's cheek, but at the sight of him in general. He was still pissy about Atsuo punching Nagisa. Nagisa motioned to the redhead. "Atsuo, this is Karma Akabane, he's my best friend. Karma, this is Atsuo," he said. Both males nodded briskly at eachother. Nagisa then noticed the bruise on Atsuo's cheek. "Atsuo, what happened to your face? It's bruised!"

"Ah, I guess it hit a rock when the explosion happened," Atsuo lied smoothly. Nagisa nodded in understanding before tilting his head to the side. "Are you okay?" he asked with a frown. Atsuo gave him a tight smile. "I'm fine, I'm healing up nicely," Atsuo replied. Nagisa shook his head. "No, I mean, you seem on edge, are you feeling okay?"

Atsuo gave a dry laugh. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope."

Atsuo sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well, to be brutally honest, no, I'm not okay. Last night, someone snuck in through the window and attacked me. Nagisa and Karma's eyes widened in surprise but remained quiet so Atsuo could continue.

"It was around 11pm. I woke up and saw this guy just standing by the window. He wore all white and had a knife. I managed to fight him off, but he was still gonna kill me. Thankfully, the doctors and nurses arrived. Before they got there, though, the guy had already fled from the window."

Nagisa and Karma looked at eachother, seemingly having a silent conversation.

A moment later they turned back.

"I don't know why, but, he sounds familiar, to be honest," Nagisa said slowly. Karma nodded. "I feel like I've heard of him, but I really don't remember."

It went silent for abit before Karma spoke up. "Nagisa said that it was possible that the Asano family was the ones who paid Takaoka to kidnap him, we should head over and-"

"No!"

Nagisa's voice surprised both of the other boys. They looked at him. Nagisa was staring down, clutching the sheets. "I told you before, Karma, I want to be there when you confront the Asano's. I want to know myself why they did what they did. And if they sent that man after Atsuo."

"And I told you it was dangerous."

"So what? Someone like me doesn't have much worth anyway!"

"Nagisa, we talked about that yesterday," Karma said sharply. Nagisa snapped his mouth shut, lips twisted into an annoyed frown. Atsuo stared at them uncomfortably before speaking up quietly. "Karma and I can go visit the Asano's. If he actually gives us some answers, we'll bring you along next time. If not, we'll move on," he suggested.

Karma nodded. "Sounds good to me. Nagisa?" Karma looked over at him, "is that agreeable to you?"

Nagisa's cheeks reddened in embarrassment but he nodded once. "Sure," he muttered. Karma smirked at him. "Don't pout. Its unattractive on a beta."

"I- I'm not pouting!"

"Oh hell yeah you are!" Karma suddenly had Nagisa in a headlock, a devilish smile on his face. Nagisa made a high pitched squealing noise and tried to get him off. He succeeded, but only because Karma was laughing so much. "Oh man, I had no idea you could make noises like that, Nagisa. It's priceless!"

"Shut up! Jeez..." Nagisa huffed, face flushed, "where's your kindness from yesterday?"

"It died along with my soul."

"Well then bye-bye yesterday."

Atsuo watched them with a smile. It was nice to see them get along so well. He could tell the boys had a deep affection for one another, but also got the feeling that they were holding said feelings back. To be perfectly honest, if he didn't know any better, he'd assume that they were dating.

Karma was currently ruffling Nagisa's hair. "Is there anything you need while we're out?" he asked. Nagisa shook his head. "No, I'm good. I might just take a nap or something, I haven't been getting the best sleep these past few nights."

Karma's face didn't change, but Atsuo saw his body tense up slightly. Karma nodded at Nagisa. "Yeah, take a nap. We'll be back before you wake up. If you don't wake up in ten minutes or so anyway," he snickered and jumped out of the way just as Nagisa took a swing at him. 

"Come on, we can go to the library first and see if there's any information on the guy who attacked," Atsuo said. Karma's face dropped but he nodded anyway. As the boys started to leave, Karma stopped at the threshold, glancing back. "Want the light off?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

Karma flicked the light off and walked out, sliding the door shut behind him.

Atsuo and Karma left the hospital quietly.

~

Karma has been fretting over Nagisa's wellbeing for awhile now, but now the worry has increased. He didn't know Nagisa had trouble sleeping. He wished he could be with him and hold him until he fell asleep-

He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking?

"So," Atsuo began to talk, much to Karma's annoyance. Atsuo looked at him, an inquisitive look in his eyes. "Do you like Nagisa?"

Karma nearly tripped over his own feet after hearing the question that was asked him. He threw Atsuo a scandalous look, but didn't answer. Atsuo scrutinized him and nodded, mostly to himself. "So you do."

Karma sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, it's actually really obvious."

"Not obvious enough, apparently. I all but confessed to him yesterday and he didn't understand."

"He's naive."

"Very."

They fell into silence as they walked to the library, neither even making eye contact. When they arrived, they headed for a computer. Atsuo sat down infront of it and opened up google, typing in what he could, describing the man he'd seen.

Karma read over his shoulder and snorted. " _'White man with knife'_? I highly doubt that'll give you anything to go by," he smirked. Atsuo flushed and muttered something under his breath, Karma didn't catch what he said, but really, he didn't care.

Atsuo fixed up what he typed in the search bar before clicking enter. A moment later, an article popped up, it was dated back in 2002. He clicked on it and they both read quietly.

 

**June 5th - 2002 - Man kills the parents of 5 year old Itona Horibe.**

**Last night, a man wearing all white broke into a family's home and murdered the parents of 5 year old Itona Horibe. When Itona was interviewed, he stated he was nearly kidnapped by the man but had managed to hide in time. Police have identified the killer as Shiro.**

 

"Shiro, huh?" Atsuo muttered. Karma pointed at the screen. "Scroll down. There might be more," he ordered.

Atsuo scrolled down, and there was indeed more.

 

**December 19th - 2003 - Shiro found and arrested.**

**During the day, it was reported that someone had seen someone in all white, with their face concealed. When police investigated the area, they found Shiro and arrested him on sight. Court will be held for him in three months.**

 

"What? But if he murdered people, why would he be out of jail?" Atsuo asked.

Karma shrugged and continued to read.

 

**April 2nd - 2004 - Shiro released from prison.**

**On the third court day, the Judge has found Shiro to be innocent and has had him released from prisons. Thousands of people protested and spoke up in defense of Itona Horibe, now age 7, but Shiro was still able to walk out a free man.**

 

"My god," Atsuo muttered. Karma's brows furrowed. He had no idea Itona had gone through so much. But he could be a big help if they wanted to catch Shiro. He wasn't sure if Itona would be too excited for that idea though. Really, not many people want to face their past. Itona has hidden his emotions very well over the years, so he had no idea how the small alpha would feel about this. Was he upset that Shiro was free? Did he not care?

Well, whatever, he had to talk to Itona.

Karma turned to Atsuo, who was looking at him oddly. "Change of plans," Karma declared, "we're gonna visit Itona Horibe."

"W-what? But we don't know him," Atsuo stuttered in surprise.

"I do, he's in my class. I figure if we can talk to Itona about this, he can help us catch Shiro," he explained. Atsuo looked away for a moment, as if mulling it over. Finally, he nodded. "Alright...yeah, I think that's the best idea. When we talk to him, then all three of us can see the Asano's. Always strength in numbers, right?"

"Right."

With that, both boys closed out of the tab and left to find Itona.

~

It was around one in the afternoon when Karma and Atsuo left, and it was four in the afternoon when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Only one pair. The nurses never came at this time, so Nagisa figured it was probably just Karma.

The door slid open, and Nagisa turned to it to greet Karma.

When he saw who was at the door, his mouth dried and all words escaped him.

A man in all white and a knife. He slid the door shut behind him.

 _'What the hell does this guy want..? Why? Is he gonna kill me..?'_ His inner question was answered when they took a step forward, raising a knife. Nagisa stilled, eyes widening as a memory hit him.

 

_Takaoka raised the knife and brought his knife down. From the ground, Nagisa saw this movement. He rolled to the side, the knife stabbed the ground where his head was just seconds ago._

_Nagisa dashed to the side, the knife missed where Takaoka was aiming; his heart. Instead, the knife dug deep into Nagisa's shoulder. He screamed out. Takaoka laughed._

 

"No...NO!" Nagisa felt his breath quicken and he immediately jumped out of bed. He had to get away. Away from that knife, away from him, away from all of this.

The person approached him, not saying a word. Nagisa bolted for the door, hoping to escape. The man's arm shot out and grabbed his wrist before he could get away. Nagisa let out a scream. The man held a knife to Nagisa's  jugular. Nagisa shut up instantly, tears pricking his eyes. Was he gonna get killed? Or kidnapped? Tortured?

Once again, Nagisa was helpless. Once again, he felt fear.

......

Around six, a nurse walked in with Nagisa's dinner. Karma hadn't come back, so she figured she'd bring him some food from the hospital cafeteria. She tapped on the door. Hearing no response, she slid it open quietly, in case Nagisa was asleep. She froze and dropped the tray of food in shock. There was blood on the messed up bed, some of the equipment was knocked onto the floor, and the window was open. But that wasn't why she was horrified.

Nagisa Shiota was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Well then bye-bye yesterday" see what I did there? Am I clever yet?  
> And anyway, what happened to our little baby blueberry? O^O you shall find out next chapter!


	15. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma is stressed.  
> Nagisa is hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS NYALL ENJOY THIS CHAPTER !

 

To say looking for Itona took longer than expected would be an understatement. Karma and Atsuo had left the library well after two, and when they went to Itona's house, no one was home. Karma decided to go to Muramatsu's house to see if he was staying the night. Muramatsu wasn't home either, his dad said that he was probably at work. So they went to the ramen place where he worked. But by the time they got there, he'd already left, supposedly with Itona. After asking around, they went to the park that was apparently their favorite hangout. When they didn't find them there, they decided to go to Yoshida's. Yoshida had told them that they weren't there and to try Terasaka's. But apparently, Terasaka was visiting his grandparents in another city.

Basically, they spent several hours running around town for the stupid white haired idiot and found nothing.

Atsuo separated from him before Karma went back to the hospital, waving him off and saying he was gonna go to bed so they can get a fresh start in the morning.

Karma's brow twitched in annoyance.

_'Stupid Itona. Stupid Atsuo. Stupid Shiro. All of you guys suck.'_

_He shook his head and stalked off back to the hospital, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'Okay, no progress today. Fine. We'll check his house tomorrow. No big deal. We're fine. We only have a fucking serial killer out and about and the only one who's actually seen him kill is god knows where.'_ Subconsciously, Karma brought his index finger to his lips and began chewing on his finger nail.

When he got to the hospital, he seemed to finally realize that he was chewing on his nail again so he quickly removed his finger away and walked in, as if nothing happened.

He went straight to the waiting room, expecting to see a nurse at the front desk. However, the room was completely empty, completely silent. His brows furrowed in confusion, little red flags going up. He walked to the front desk and rang the little bell on the desk. It took a minute, but a nurse hurried over, face flushed. "Oh, hello Mr. Akabane. I'm sorry there's been an issue-"

"What?" Red flags were definitely going up. His alpha instincts started to kick in. He bolted to the door.

"Wait! Mr. Akabane!"

He ignored her and swung the door open and ran down the hall, ignoring the shouts from the nurse. When he arrived at Nagisa's door, he slammed it open, stumbling in. He didn't know what he was expecting, but what was in front of him was  _definitely not it._

Instead of Nagisa sitting up or dying or, really, anything else, he saw the room a mess, abunch of doctors and nurses crowded around the bed. He walked forward and tapped on one. "What happened?" he asked. The doctor looked at him, pained, but didn't say anything.

Fear started to bubble up in Karma's chest, but he shoved the doctor away and glanced at the bed, heart all but stopping.

The bed was empty. All that was left was a puddle of dried blood and words in blood scribbled on the side.

_Help_

Karma looked down, his bangs were shadowing his eyes. Atsuo was with him all day, so he knew it wasn't him. And Takaoka was dead. It had to be Shiro.

The doctors and nurses noticed his change in demeanor, and instantly backed up. It was like they could all feel his anger.

"God...fucking...DAMMIT!" Karma yelled, punching a hole in the wall before kicking a chair over. Nurses and doctors alike all tried to restrain him to lessen property damage. It took several people, but after awhile, Karma went limp in defeat.

_'I can't fucking believe it. I failed him. AGAIN. Dammit, why does it always have to be Nagisa? What has he done to piss off the world? First his mother, then the bullies at school, and now he's a target for kidnapping. Give him a fucking break!'_

He ran his hand through his hair when the doctors and nurses released him, sighing. He felt exhaustion creep up throughout his body.

"Mr. Akabane," a familiar nurse stepped up. He recognized her as Aiko, the nurse that Nagisa had taken a liking to. He glanced at her, as if to acknowledge her. She was barely two inches shorter than him. She put a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye.

"Go home and get some rest."

"No way! I have to find him! I have to-"

"Mr. Akabane, please, if you go after him now, you can pass out. Go take a nap, at least. You need some rest to find him."

Karma opened his mouth to retort, but paused. The look in her eyes seemed pleading. Beyond simply asking him to get some rest. He closed his mouth and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go home and get some rest," he said. She looked relieved to the point of tears. Instead of speaking, she mouthed  _thank you._

Well.

As Karma left, he heard nurses begin talking to Aiko, asking how she managed to get him to leave. All she replied was "I guess I'm just really convincing".

Karma sighed. She knew something. Something she wasn't allowed to talk to the others about.

He wondered what she could possibly know, but he pushed it away for now. He had to get home for now.

~

Nagisa curled up, shivering and in pain. The stab wound had reopened and he also got another cut on his neck. He held his wound tightly, grimacing at the blood that leaked onto his hospital shirt and hand. He hadn't lost  _too_ much blood. He wasn't dizzy, like he was before. So, that was a plus.

He leaned back, closing is eyes. He was so tired...

"Nagisa?"

Nagisa's eyes cracked open, smiling slightly. Karma was standing there, eyes wide and jaw slightly slack. Nagisa stood up, knees buckling. Just as his legs gave out, Karma caught him, his arms around Nagisa's waist. Karma held him tightly. "But, how? I saw your room back in the hospital-"

Nagisa smiled weakly, subconsciously scooting closer to Karma for warmth. Karma seemed to realize this and swore under his breath and looked down at him. "How long have you been out here? It's cold as hell out here."

"I've only been here for an hour. I think."

"Shit, Nagisa," Karma kept one arm around him to keep him up and reached for a key in his back pocket and unlocked the door, ushering him in before closing the door behind him. Nagisa relaxed slightly. Karma grimaced as he eyed Nagisa. "Come on, you can take a hot shower and I'll leave you some clothes."

"Okay."

So Karma lead him to the bathroom, turning on the shower and leaving Nagisa in there to grab some clothes. Nagisa slowly took the hospital clothes off, wincing in pain at the material brushing across his wound on his shoulder and on his kneecap.

He trembled slightly and stepped into the shower, closing the curtains. Hot water hit his small and cold body, instantly relaxing him. Sure the water stung his open wounds, but hey, he didn't care. It was getting cleaned.

A few minutes later, he heard light knocking at the door. The suddenness made him jump in surprise, and he cried out as his knee gave out on him. He slipped and fell, wincing in pain.

"Nagisa!" he heard the door open. "Are you okay? I heard a crash."

"Yeah," Nagisa grimaced, realizing he  _couldn't get back up._

"Alright...I'll leave you some clothes on the counter," Karma sounded unsure for once. Nagisa hesitated, seeing his silhouette walking away. He quickly spoke up. "Um...Karma?"

Karma paused. "Yeah?"

Nagisa reached out, sliding the curtain open abit. He felt his face heating up, and it wasn't because of the steam from the shower. "I, uh, can't get up."

Karma stared at him, confusion written on his face. A couple seconds later, which honestly felt like an eternity to Nagisa, Karma seemed to realize what his silent question was. Karma stepped back over, his own face slightly pink.

 _'Is Karma blushing?'_ he internally shook his head.  _'Nah, it's just from the steam.'_

Karma rolled his sleeves up past his elbows and reached in, gripping Nagisa's arm to help him stand. Nagisa trembled, biting his tongue. His knee  _hurt._ And with good reason too. Oh well. At least it wasn't broken. Smashed, but not broken. That alone was a goddamn miracle.

Karma let Nagisa lean on his arm The blush seemed to have disappeared as he used one hand to help wash him, eyes focused.

 _'Alpha instincts are probably kicking in,'_ he realized,  _'his focus is on helping me.'_

Unable to anything except cling to Karma's strong arm, he stood there, putting his weight on his left leg. The entire ordeal was tricky, but Karma was...well, he was Karma. He managed to wash Nagisa's body with one arm. It took longer than the usual shower, especially when Karma worked on his hair. Nagisa felt his face heat up. The shampoo smelled like strawberries. Like Karma.

When he was  _finally_ done, Karma turned the water off and reached for a towel, wrapping it around Nagisa and easily picked him up, as if he weighed nothing. He set him on the counter and helped dry him. When he got down to Nagisa's knees, he paused, brows furrowing.

"Nagisa, what happened? Your knee-"

"I'll explain everything later."

"..." Karma wordlessly continued to dry him off. When he finished, he grabbed the first aid kit under the sink and grabbed some bandages. He wrapped them around Nagisa's knee and shoulder, nodding to himself and muttering something Nagisa didn't quite catch. Karma stepped back, looking him in the eyes. "Do you think you can dress yourself?" he asked. Nagisa saw right through his blank eyes, seeing the concern in them. He nodded.

Karma stepped out. "I'll go ahead and get you some hot tea," he closed the door. Nagisa took a deep, shaky breath. He reached for the boxers first and slid them on, then the pants, then the shirt. He had to roll the pants up to his ankles so he could walk.

He left the bathroom, limping to the living room. Karma's house never ceased to amaze him. It was large, and had expensive looking furniture.

Nagisa carefully sat on the dark red soft couch, shoving his sleeves up to his wrists. Minutes later, Karma came out holding a cup of hot tea. He paused when he saw Nagisa, his face immediately turning a bright red.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Karma looked away, mumbling. "Shit, Nagisa, you can't expect me to focus when you look so damn small and adorable in my clothes."

Nagisa felt himself begin to blush and muttered to himself. "Not my fault you're so damn tall. You're the one who always drinks strawberry milk."

Karma snorted and handed him his teacup. Nagisa gingerly took it and stared down at it. He felt weight on the couch next to him and knew Karma was sitting down.

"Nagisa. Will you please tell me what happened?"

"...Yeah. I...I was attacked by the man that Atsuo described."

-

_Nagisa felt helpless and scared. He didn't want to be kidnapped again. He had two options. He could flee by trying to run out the door, or jump out the window. If he fled to the hall, then this man could hurt anyone else. So, Nagisa chose the latter._

_But actually carrying out his escape plan was harder than he thought. He struggled to break free of his grip, feeling blood trickle down his neck._

_He lifted his leg and swung it back, his foot connected with the man's leg. There was a grunt of pain and he slid from their grip. The man stumbled back, knocking against lots of equipment and making them all fall to the floor. They seemed to regain their senses and lunged with a knife. Nagisa jumped aside, feeling the familiarity of dodging a knife. The knife slit through his shirt and ended up cutting through his bandages, grazing his already injured shoulder. It started bleeding. Nagisa stumbled aside and collapsed, his wounded shoulder hitting the white bed. That was gonna leave a stain. Well then. Oh well._

_He got up, not bothering to see how much blood leaked onto the bed. His chance was now. He bolted to the window before they could reach him._

_He opened it and jumped out._

_Nagisa used his uninjured hand to catch himself on a tree branch a floor below him, letting go a moment later. He landed on his right kneecap and winced in pain. He stood up and stumbled. He could still go. It wasn't broken._

_He took off running- or stumbling- until he got to a nearby store. He looked out the window. He didn't see the white man anywhere. He sighed and limped over to the front counter. A manager stood there, eyes widening when he saw Nagisa. "Sir, are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?"_

_"No, but I need to make a call. Do you have a phone here?"_

_"Yes, of course," the manager hurried off and came back with a phone in hand. He dialed in the number that Aiko had given him the other night when he had a nightmare, assuring him if he ever needed her, he could call._

_Moments later, her voice answered._

_"Hello?"_

_"Miss Aiko!"_

_"Nagisa? Is that you? Where are you? Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm fine. I...I don't want to come back. If Karma comes by, please tell him to come home. Don't tell the other nurses and doctors, they'll try to force me back."_

_"...Fine," he heard her sigh, "but, please be careful."_

_"Yes mam."_

_And with that, they both hung up. Nagisa handed the manager the phone back. "Thank you," he bowed and left._

_He went straight to Karma's place to wait for him._

_-_

"And then you came back," Nagisa finished. Karma closed his eyes. "I wonder why he didn't chase you. He could've caught you easily," he murmured.

Nagisa only nodded in agreement. "Another thing," Karma looked at him, "you never said anything about writing the word 'help' on the bed."

"...Karma, I didn't write that."

He shook his head. Nagisa figured the man probably wrote it to mess with the staff, or with Karma and Atsuo. Karma sighed and stood up. "We should get to sleep. You can sleep with me," he said thoughtlessly. Nagisa stared, wide eyed. Karma noticed his stare and reddened. "I mean, if you're attacked again, I won't know it. At least I can protect you when you're with me, right?"

"Err...yeah, I guess."

They walked over to Karma's room. Nagisa laid on the end of Karma's bed, staring up at the ceiling. Moments later, the light flicked off, and Karma came to bed, wearing sweats and a shirt. He crawled in the large bed, keeping a small distance between them.

Nagisa felt sleep slowly overcome him, and as he fell asleep, he scooted closer to Karma, as if needing the body heat.

By the time he was asleep, a hesitant but protective arm wrapped around him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of angst, but I figured, why not start the New Year with some Karmagisa fluff instead of angst. I mean, this was my original idea, but I hadn't included the shower or the cuddle scene.


	16. Turmoil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa is afraid.  
> Karma comforts him.  
> Atsuo, Karma, and Nagisa visit the Asano's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first chapter where Self-Harm is included, so, yeah.

 

_Nagisa was running. Running as far as he could as fast as he could. His lungs burned, his legs ached, his breath was coming out in short gasps of desperation. He had to keep going. He couldn't stop._

_That man was chasing them. That man who attacked him in the hospital. The man who tried to kill him._

_Nagisa tripped over something, a rock. He tripped over a fucking rock. His knee immediately smashed, and he cried out loudly. He tried to get up, but he couldn't. He couldn't even move. Oh god, he was going to die, wasn't he? Nagisa squeezed his eyes shut in fear._

_The man kicked him in his ribs until he flopped over on his back. Nagisa wheezed desperately for air. The man stepped on both of Nagisa's elbows, making him cry out in pain. The man wordlessly aimed his knife at Nagisa's chest._

_"Why are you doing this?! What have I ever done to you?!" Nagisa shouted. Still, the man remained silent. Instead, he plunged the knife down and-_

_-_

Nagisa bolted upright with a gasp, cold sweat running down his face. He frantically touched his chest and felt his elbows. He sighed in quiet relief, feeling tears threaten to spill over. He glanced over at Karma's sleeping form. His breathing hadn't changed, he hadn't even budged. He must've been in a really deep sleep.

Quietly, Nagisa got out of bed. He stalked out of the room, closing the door as lightly as he could. He headed towards the kitchen, his mind focused on one thing...

_Help me escape this pain._

He opened a drawer, taking out a sharp looking knife. He closed the drawer and scurried to the bathroom, ignoring the pain in his kneecap. He locked the door and let himself fall to the floor with a choked sob.

 _'It would be so easy...I have a knife right here.'_ Shakily, he brought it up to his neck, pausing when he remembered the knives that had been pressed to his throat this past week. He lowered the knife, tracing it down lightly- too lightly to even cut through- to his heart. He paused, images of Takaoka and that man from his dream aiming at his heart plagued his mind. Tears fell freely down his face.

_'Why can't I do it? Why am I so scared? One thrust is all it takes! I'm such a wimp! I don't have any resolve! I...really am useless. I can't even die without stopping.'_

He choked out another sob, yanking his sleeves up and bringing the knife to his arm. No second guessing. No hesitation. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the pain as he brought the knife down to his skin.

One cut.

Nagisa bit his tongue in surprise, staring down at the large, gaping cut that was already dripping blood. He'd done it, he'd managed to do this much. And, weirdly enough, the physical pain had made him forget about the emotional pain he was in. He watched as he brought it down again.

Two cuts.

This one wasn't as deep. Nagisa guessed it was because he was more wary and more intentional, but it didn't matter.

Three cuts.

Nagisa wanted to cling to the physical pain.

Four cuts.

He had to forget the emotional pain.

Five cuts.

He was willing to do anything to help himself.

Six cuts.

It's not like people would know anyway, right?

Seven cuts.

He wore long sleeves and jackets all the time, no one would suspect a thing.

Eight cuts.

He knew he was worthless.

Nine cuts.

Undeserving of any positive thing that came to life.

Ten cuts.

Like Karma.

Eleven cuts.

Nagisa openly let out a sob. He didn't deserve Karma. He knew it. He was too good for him. Karma was bold, he was a leader, girls both loved and feared him, guys both admired and feared him. Why did Karma act like he cared? He shouldn't. Nagisa Shiota was just a play thing.

_'Right. I'm fucking nothing. The world would be better off without me. Maybe then I'll finally do society a fucking favor. If I disappear, everyone would be happier.'_

Just as he brought the knife down for his twelfth cut, there was a knock at the door. He paused.

"Nagisa?" Shit. It was Karma. Well, of course it was him. He was always home alone and this is  _his_ house, after all.

"Y-yeah?" Nagisa tried to sound normal, but his voice cracked, betraying him. There was a pause, and a lighter tap came at the door again. "Nagisa? Are you crying?" he sounded more awake. More alert. Nagisa hesitated. He didn't want to tell the truth, but he didn't want to lie. So he opted to remain silent. The tapping got more insistent. "Nagisa? Please answer me, why do I smell blood?"

Nagisa looked down at the small puddle of blood that dripped on the floor, and the knife that had slits of blood still on it. Had he really done that much? He felt like crying again. He got blood on Karma's white bathroom rug.

_FUCKING GREAT._

Tears fell down his face some more and he made a small choked noise.

"Nagisa?" it was pretty clear that any amount of self control from Karma was gone now, his voice sounded...panicked. The doorknob jiggled once.

Should he try to hide it? No. He'd notice immediately since he'd been pretty silent.

It jiggled twice.

Besides, Karma's senses were really sharp.

And again.

The door was finally forcefully opened, and Nagisa stared directly at Karma with a blank expression.

~

Karma woke up to a chill. He was alone in bed, and he knew he had Nagisa close when he fell asleep. Hell, Nagisa fell asleep before Karma did. He sat up and leaped out of bed, padding out. He walked around the house, wondering where the hell his young beta friend should be.

When he heard a sob in the bathroom, he became concerned. When Nagisa wouldn't answer, he became more worried. When Karma smelled blood and Nagisa only made a strange noise, as if he was in pain, the worry flew out the window into full-blown panic. He jiggled at the knob a couple times before managing to force it open.

Nagisa stared at him evenly, as if the blood on his arm and floor didn't bother him.

Blood. On his arm. Nagisa was bleeding. His golden eyes trailed over to the knife clutched in his hand, the blade dangerously close to more unmarked skin.

_Oh my god Nagisa hurt himself-_

Karma lunged forward so quickly that Nagisa actually jumped in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Karma asked sharply, fear evident in his voice. He snatched the knife away and threw it into the trash. He forcefully grabbed Nagisa's wrist and eyed each and every cut, mentally counting them.

"Nagisa, why...why did you do this? You gave yourself  _twelve_ cuts," Karma felt his voice waver. His beloved beta friend was hurting himself. His face had gone back from surprise back to its former blank one. But Karma could faintly see tears at the rims of his eyelids. He realized, with a start, that Nagisa had been fighting tears the entire time. He was trying not to show it, though.

"I..." Nagisa looked away. "I just..." he sounded a little bit lost, as if he wasn't quite sure how to explain it. Karma sighed. He'd deal with that later. For now, he had to tend to Nagisa's arm. He stood up, grabbing the first aid kit that was still on the counter from earlier, and sitting back down. He grabbed some anti-bacterial spray and, without any warning, he gently pushed down on the nozzle. The sound of the spray seemed to bring Nagisa back to reality as he hissed at the stinging pain. But other than that small hiss, he said nothing.

When he finished, he wrapped them up in a bandage.

"There, all cleaned up," Karma murmured.

Nagisa's eyes widened, tears already falling down his face. "Cleaned up-? Karma, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"It's fine, Nagisa, just please don't do it again."

"No! I mean, I didn't mean to get blood on your rug! I wasn't thinking! I'm sorry!"

Karma stared at him. "Nagisa, I don't give a damn about the rug. I give a damn about  _you._ I'm upset that you hurt yourself, not at the mess you made."

His words seemed to have the opposite effect, however, as he began crying harder. "Just admit it, Karma, you wish that I'd been killed. You wish you never became my friend. You-!"

"NAGISA!"

"..."

"Jesus, be quiet for a minute! I  _said_ it's not a big deal about the rug! That's what bleach is for! And I don't want you to be killed, I want you safe and I'm  _glad_ you're my friend."

"..."

"You're worth...so much more than you believe, Nagisa. I know you think you're worthless, but you're  _not._ "

"But...Karma, I couldn't even kill myself without chickening out..."

Karma felt cold fear shiver down his spine. Nagisa tried to-?

"My feelings for you won't allow you to die. You  _will_ live and you'll see how amazing you are."

"...Thanks, Karma. I'm glad you see me as your friend..."

...

Yep. Still naive and oblivious. Nevertheless, Karma embraced him.

"No problem. I'm always here for you."

~

Atsuo met up with Karma and Nagisa later that day, surprised to see the latter out of the hospital. The surprise was quickly shifted to horror upon finding out Shiro had attacked him.

So the three teens made their way to the Asano Agency building. After managing to sneak past the front desk, they made their way to Gakuho Asano's office.

Atsuo lifted a fist to knock, but Karma kicked the doors open. Atsuo gave Karma a reprimanding look as Nagisa sighed, as if he wasn't surprised. Karma stormed in, with Nagisa and Atsuo in tow.

"Hello, boys," Gakuho Asano said without looking up from his paper, "is there something you need?"

"You know damn well why we're here!" Karma snapped, slamming his hands on the desk. "Karma," Atsuo hissed, gripping Karma's arm. Gakuho still didn't bother to look up. "Actually, I don't. Believe it or not, I don't know how to read minds."

"But you know how to control minds!"

"Pardon?" Gakuho actually looked up this time, looking amused. "Sir, we just want to know something," Atsuo said calmly, his blue eyes falling to Gakuho's son, who was standing off to the side with a blank look. As if their entrance was an annoying disturbance.

"Well, go ahead and ask."

"Did you pay off Takaoka to kidnap Nagisa?"

"Quite the contrary. I wasn't aware of any Takaoka until we identified his body at the site of an explosion. In fact, I wasn't sure if the kidnapper was male or female. I wanted to take them out, though. Ultimately, it came down to failure," Gakuho said smoothly.

"Even if you said that you didn't, you were the one who paid off Shiro to kill Nagisa!" Karma accused, pointing a finger. Now, Gakuho was laughing. "Goodness, you don't know anything, do you?" his tone was mocking. Gakushu rolled his eyes at his father.

"Sir..." Nagisa, who'd been hanging around in the back, spoke up for the first time as he walked forward until he reached the desk. He was on the far right side, with Karma in the middle, and Atsuo on the far left.

"I just...if you tell me the truth and call this 'Shiro' guy off, then I'll forgive you. No hard feelings. I just...I need to know the truth."

Gakushu eyed Nagisa in obvious interest before glancing at Gakuho, whose eyes had gone cold. Before anyone could see it coming, he slapped Nagisa across the face, throwing him to the side and landing afew feet away from Gakushu.

"Nagisa!" Atsuo was alarmed, but Karma only looked pissed. He glared at Gakuho, grabbing his shirt and yanking him over to look him in the eye. "What the fuck was that for?!" Karma yelled.

Atsuo's gaze landed on Nagisa, surprised to see Gakushu kneeled infront of him, as if silently checking over his red cheek. But Atsuo saw Gakushu's mouth moving. He was talking to Nagisa, and from the tiny glances Gakushu would steal at Gakuho, it was private.

Gakuho took Karma's hands off of his shirt, eyeing him without a shroud of empathy. "You idiots think that 'forgiving me' is my greatest blessing? How arrogant are you? I said I didn't do anything, and I know damn well Shiro didn't either."

"I saw him! Nagisa did, too!" Atsuo finally snapped. Was this man really calling him a liar? Gakuho looked annoyed. "It couldn't have been him," he said through clenched teeth. "Why? Was he an old buddy of yours?" Karma asked sarcastically. Gakuho shook his head.

"No. Shiro's been dead for a year now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP. OKAY. SO THAT'S A THING.  
> Anyway, I've been considering adding this fic to my Quotev account. Hmu if you have an account, or get an account and talk to me more! :D if anyone actually does, my URL is @.GayCookieLover ... just message me saying "I read your Assassination Classroom fic" or something about it.


	17. Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa, Karma, and Atsuo leave.  
> Karma and the others questions Itona.  
> Atsuo gets hauled off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu well. This fic is longer than I thought. Originally I thought there'd be like, 10 chapters or something, but ideas kept popping in and screeching at me, so I go with them and BAM. Chapter 17. I think there's MAYBE. MAYBE! Gonna be around 20 or so chapters. It depends on how my writing is and all that-

 

Nagisa, Karma, and Atsuo left Asano Agency minutes after Gakuho told them that Shiro has been dead for a year. How was it possible? Nagisa knew what he saw, and Atsuo had seen the same person, even got info on him. He said the internet said nothing about his death, but Gakuho waved him off, insisting that they kept this from the media because of  _how_ he died, which, to the three teens annoyance, wasn't spoken.

"So, now what?" Nagisa asked quietly, fiddling around with the black sleeves on his shirt that Karma lent to him. Atsuo sighed. "I have no idea. But Shiro is dead, and I'm out of ideas on what to do."

"We could...um...well...we could try to catch the Shiro imposter..." Nagisa mumbled. Atsuo gave him a weird look. "How would we do that?" he questioned.

"I was thinking that we could use me as bait and-"

"No. Absolutely not," Karma cut in sharply, glaring at Nagisa, "we're  _not_ going to let you put yourself in more danger. If anything, Atsuo should be the bait."

"Wow. I'm right here."

Karma ignored him, glaring at Nagisa. Nagisa crossed his arms stubbornly. "Yeah, well, maybe I don't want people to risk their lives when I could do something instead," he retorted. Karma's eyes narrowed. "And you think I want you to risk your life? What if we kills you before we get to him? What if he takes you away, using you as hostage? What if he  _touches_ you?" Karma's eyes darkened, and Nagisa immediately understood what that last one implied.

"What if you stay close by and attack from behind?" Nagisa countered.

"Even if we did that, you still might get killed."

"It's fine. I'm not scared."

Karma only scoffed. "Of course you're not. You're never scared when it comes to your own life. You're desperate, Nagisa," he pointed out. Nagisa flinched slightly but stood his ground, clenching his teeth and his hand subconsciously gripping his scarred arm. Noticing this, Karma sighed. "Look, I just don't want you hurt again. You've been through enough this week."

"But you always say you can use me as bait to lure out delinquents."

"And have I ever gone through with it?"

"...No."

Karma crossed his arms in obvious satisfaction. "See? Now let's think of something else," he said, pursing his lips. Atsuo then spoke up. "We could try Itona's house again," he suggested. Karma gave a quick nod. Nagisa looked confused. "Itona? What does he have to do with this?" he asked. Atsuo looked over at him. "Well, apparently, twelve years ago, Itona's parents were murdered by Shiro We were hoping to get more details about him, and see if he can help us."

"But he can still help us," Atsuo said. Karma shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, he could tell us how they were murdered, that way we'll know if Asano was telling the truth."

"Alright, let's go then," Atsuo turned and walked in the direction that they headed towards yesterday, with Nagisa and Karma falling behind him. Nagisa looked at Karma questioningly. "So, when you did research on Shiro, you found out that Itona's parents were killed?" he whispered. Karma nodded, grimacing. "Yeah, he apparently watched as he was forced into hiding."

"Poor Itona..." Nagisa murmured tearfully. Karma nudged him lightly. "Hey, hey, none of that. We gotta focus," he said, his tone, while low, was sharp. But Nagisa saw the glint of worry in his eyes. He wiped at his tears with his sleeves and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I know, sorry. It's just...I can't imagine if my mom was killed," he explained and took a deep and shaky breath. Karma's brows furrowed. "Nagisa, she's a bitch, if she died, you'd be better off," he said bluntly. Nagisa shot him a look. "She's my mother. I love her. She just has abit of a violent streak. Not much different from you," he pointed out.

Karma stared at him, eyes hardening. "Not much different from me?" he echoed and laughed harshly, "I don't go around hurting people and demanding they change who they are. Sure, I'm violent. That's who I am. But I only fight when it's necessary. Haven't you noticed that by now? I don't deliberately go looking for fights just because I'm bored. When I'm bored, I play video games. When someone is getting bullied, I fight. You  _know_ this, Nagisa."

Nagisa flushed. "I- I didn't mean it that way-"

"Whatever," Karma shook his head and looked at him, disappointed. "I thought you knew me better than that," he then sped up to walk next to Atsuo, who'd obviously been listening in.

Nagisa stopped, watching their retreating backs. His gaze lowered. Great. He was so upset he spoke without thinking. He seemed to be doing that allot recently. Or acted before thinking. He sighed. He wasn't upset with Karma. He was upset with himself. The one person who was always there for him, stayed up searching for him, visited him in the hospital everyday for him, let him stay at his place, and stopped him from cutting himself to death, was mad at him because of something he said.

_'God, can I be anymore stupid?'_

He hurried to catch up with Atsuo and Karma, still staying a couple feet behind them.

_'I just want to disappear.'_

Nagisa shook his head. Please, please don't let these thoughts catch up to him right now.

_'You did this to him, you hurt him after all he's done for you. You stupid, stupid, stupid boy.'_

Nagisa bit his tongue. He wanted to cry out, hug Karma, and apologize.

_'Leave him alone. Stay at your own place from now on. You don't deserve Karma.'_

Yeah. He'll do that.

~

Karma was hurt, angry, and disappointed. Yeah, he meant every word he said about Nagisa's mom, but Nagisa's retort was a huge blow below the belt. Nagisa was his friend, his first friend.

...Maybe he shouldn't have talked about his mom like that.

He wanted to talk to Nagisa about their argument, but he wasn't sure if Nagisa wanted to talk about it, so he kept quiet, walking at pace next to Atsuo, who kept his mouth shut.

By the time they got to Itona's house, it was well past midday. Karma knocked on the door. Moments later, much to his relief, the door opened, revealing Itona.

"Oh, hello Karma, Nagisa, and stranger."

"Hi, Itona," Nagisa said with a little bit of warmth in his voice.

Karma felt agitation rise through his body. That warmth should be going to  _him,_ not Itona. He looked down at Itona. "We've been looking for you since yesterday," he said bluntly, "where were you?"

"I was with Muramatsu, he dragged me over to a nightclub."

"But you're underage."

"So is he."

"..." Karma shook his head. "Anyway. We need to talk to you."

"About?"

Before Karma could answer, Atsuo cut in, in a much more gentle voice. "We need to ask about the night Shiro murdered your parents," he said. Itona stared at them and shrugged. "Okay."

Karma, Atsuo, and Nagisa stared.

"What?"

"Aren't you...sad about this?" Nagisa asked. Itona's usual blank facial expression never changed. "No. Not really, anyway. I was a little disappointed that they died since my mom always tried to coddle me and I wasn't sure how to survive on my own, and people wanted me in foster care, but that's about it."

"And your dad?" Nagisa asked.

"He was never around. And when he was, he was pretty much a jerk. So, I don't mind talking about it," he stepped aside for them to come in. The three teens walked in and made themselves comfortable on the couch. Itona sat on the chair, not offering any drinks or anything. They came to talk, not get lazy.

"So, what is it you want to know?" Itona questioned. The three shared a look before Karma decided to speak up. "When Shiro killed your parents, how did he do it?" he asked. Itona was quiet for a moment, a look of concentration on his face, as if he was trying to remember. Finally, he answered. "He beat them to death, if I recall correctly."

"Did he have a knife?" Atsuo asked. Itona shook his head. "No, he preferred to do things bare handed."

"Is it true he's been dead for a year?" Karma asked. Itona nodded. "Last year, he came back, but he wasn't wearing his white cloth. He thought I forgot about him, since I was a little kid, but I remembered him from his voice. I asked him about it, and he got mad. He managed to land a couple blows to me, but I lead him away from my house, where eventually, he got hit by a truck. He was pronounced dead the next day."

"Why would the Asano Agency keep that a secret?" Nagisa asked. Itona snorted. "Because Asano himself accidentally ran him over. Even if he was the one who called for help and paid his hospital bills, he'd get arrested."

Well, at least that was cleared up. But...

"But Shiro attacked me a couple nights ago! And attacked Nagisa last night! He had a knife!" Atsuo said. Itona shook his head. "He never had a knife to begin with. Someone is pretending to be Shiro. However, I'm not sure why."

"Itona, will you help us..? I mean, help us capture the Shiro imposter?" Nagisa asked desperately. Karma shot him a look. After hearing this, Karma was sure he could take on this phony himself.

"Why?" Itona asked blankly.

"W-well its just...you're strong, you know? And we could really use your intelligence..."

Itona sighed. "Fine. Meet me in the alley next to the hospital. I'll have a plan ready, by then.

"Thank you so much, Itona," Nagisa said gratefully as they left. Karma gave Itona a glare before following Nagisa and Atsuo.

~

"Well, that went better than expected," Atsuo said. Nagisa and Karma nodded in agreement. It was quiet as they left Itona's house. It was nearing three, no one was out and about at this time. Just as they were about to separate, a police car stopped by them. An officer stood up and looked at Atsuo. Nagisa hid behind Karma in fear. Karma straightened up, as if being a shield to him.

"Are you Atsuo Murata?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Atsuo said, already knowing where this was going. The officer pulled out his cuffs and turned Atsuo around to cuff him. "You're under arrest for the kidnappings of thirty two omegas and fifty five betas," he said as he lead Atsuo to the police car. Atsuo sat there calmly. He knew this would happen. It didn't bug him. The officer read off his rights and looked at him. "Do you understand?"

Atsuo only nodded. The policeman closed the door, obviously pleased how cooperative he was being. He walked to the drivers seat as Atsuo looked out the window to meet Karma and Nagisa's gaze. He mouthed to them,  _find the Shiro imposer._

They both nodded, and the policeman drived off.

"Well, isn't that a shame?" a new voice rang out. Karma and Nagisa whirled around, shocked to see Gakushu Asano standing there with crossed arms and a tiny smirk.

"Asano?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...this is a thing.


	18. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asano decides to help.  
> Nagisa goes back home.  
> Karma and the others meet up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao hello stress my old friend. Glad to see you decided to let my headache worsen since yesterday. Gotta love them headaches that last over a day despite all the pills I take. Oh well. Nothing new. It's just annoying.

 

"What are you doing here?" Karma demanded, an arm infront of Nagisa, eyeing the strawberry blonde with distrust. Asano smirked in amusement. Karma Akabane really didn't trust him. Why? Because his father was a jackass? Because he himself seemed like a prick? Whatever the reason, he thought it was hilarious.

"Why? Why do you think?" he crossed his arms, violet eyes shining, "I came to help."

"Help? You? Since when do you help people?" Karma retorted.

"Since when do you know anything about me?" Asano retorted. Karma visibly faltered. Asano turned to Nagisa, feeling his interest pique again. He didn't know why, but he was drawn to him. Not in a  _I feel the need to protect him_ kind of drawn, but the kind where you don't know why, but you can't bring yourself to hate them. Which was weird, considering he'd called his own 'friends' his 'minions' behind their backs, and he always looked down at other people for never matching up to his intelligence.

"You do remember what I said, right?" Asano prompted. Karma looked at Nagisa, his eyebrows raised. Nagisa only nodded, almost shyly.

-

_Asano wasn't surprised when his father hit Nagisa. He wasn't frustrated by it. But he was mildly annoyed. The boy obviously hadn't meant anything arrogant, but apparently his father seemed to think so. Nagisa sat up weakly, his hand going to his cheek. From experience, Asano knew that his cheek had to have been stinging massively. He approached Nagisa, ignoring the ruckus that Karma was making._

_He knelt down and removed Nagisa's hand, glancing at the wound and nodding. "Ice will help that," he informed him quietly. Nagisa blinked._

_Asano leaned in abit closer, lowering his voice even more. "Is it true, that you saw a Shiro imposer?"_

_Nagisa nodded again._

_Asano glanced at his father, who was busy arguing with Karma._

_He looked back at Nagisa. "Look, I may not know too much about Shiro, but if I help you, it'd benefit the both of us. So I'll help you out with catching the Shiro imposer."_

_"How did you-?"_

_"Know that you're trying to catch him? It's way too obvious. If you weren't trying to catch him, you wouldn't be here, telling my father about it, demanding if he sent 'Shiro' out," he stood back up and walked back to where he'd originally been standing. Nagisa only stared at him in shock._

_-_

"Anyway, you're gonna need the help you can get," Asano said. "We already have Itona's help, we don't need  _yours,_ " Karma said in a snarky tone. Nagisa elbowed him. "Karma," he hissed. Karma gave him a look, but turned back to Asano. "Why do you want to help us?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"If I help you with this case, my father would finally realize I'm not as stupid as he believes I am."

"What?" Nagisa sounded surprised, "but, Asano, you're like, the smartest guy in school!"

"Wow, thanks," Karma muttered.

"Well, one of the smartest," Nagisa amended, blushing.

Asano snorted and decided to ignore that. "That's not what I meant. I mean he thinks I'm a naive child, one who isn't ready to take over his Agency," he rolled his eyes. "I'm not even interested in the Agency."

"So, why help us if you're not interested?" Karma asked.

"I don't like people looking down on me. Least of all, him."

Nagisa and Karma shared a look.

Asano watched, biting his tongue. Yes, he wanted to help for that reason, but he also really wanted to help them. Asano  _was_ lonely. Not that he'd ever admit it.

Finally, Karma nodded. "Fine, we're meeting over at the alley by the hospital, Itona will have a plan by then."

"Fair enough," Asano said, turning away and walking off.

~

"Can't believe someone like him wants to help us," Karma was muttering to himself. Nagisa frowned in disapproval. "He's human just like us. You never know, he may be really worried," he said. Karma snorted. "I'm sure."

Nagisa sighed as they reached the intersection, the area that separated the direction of their houses. Nagisa turned right. Karma caught his uninjured arm. "Hold on, where do you think you're going?" he asked. Nagisa glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "I'm going home," he answered simply. Karma's grip tightened a little bit. "No, you're not, you need to-"

"Don't tell me what I need to do, Karma, she's probably worried about me, I need to let her know I'm okay."

Karma muttered something under his breath, his grip tightening every second. Nagisa winced in pain. "K-Karma, will you please let go?"

Karma jumped slightly and, seeing Nagisa's pained expression, immediately let go. He ran a hand through his hair. "Look, if this is about earlier-"

"No, I mean, it's part of the reason, but I really should be getting home," Nagisa interrupted. Karma's brows furrowed and, to Nagisa's surprise, knelt down to his level. He was barely a couple inches shorter than Nagisa on his knees, but at least looking him in the eye was easier.

"It's fine, Nagisa, I'm not upset about it anymore. Really. You don't have to go back," his eyes were pleading. Nagisa felt his heart begin to pound. He reached over and wrapped his arms around Karma's neck. "I'm glad you forgave me, but I really should go home, otherwise my mom will flip."

Karma wrapped his own arms around Nagisa's waist.

They stayed like that for awhile, before slowly separating, and Karma standing back up. "If she hurts you, please don't hesitate to text me," his eyes were full of genuine concern and...something else. Nagisa wasn't really sure what it was. But Karma had been acting weird for awhile now. He wanted to ask, but now wasn't the time. He really had to get home now. So, Nagisa just gave him a smile. A real one, this time. "I will."

Karma relaxed upon seeing Nagisa's real smile and ruffled his hair. Nagisa pushed his hand away with a pout. He turned back around with a wave. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Karma echoed.

Nagisa walked home, his chest feeling warm. Karma forgave him. Karma was worried about him. He knew he didn't deserve someone like Karma, but he couldn't help himself. He felt like, he  _needed_ Karma. He was...he was perfect. The way he smiled for Nagisa, the way he looked at him, the way he's always there for him. He loved hearing Karma's laugh, he loved hearing Karma talk, he admired him-

Nagisa froze.

_'Oh my god, I'm in love with Karma.'_

His eyes watered. He was in love with his best friend. Surely, Karma would be disgusted with him. They were best friends, but even best friends get agitated with eachother. Besides, who could love someone like him? Nagisa rubbed the bridge of his nose as he walked to his apartment, opening the door.

"I'm home, mom," Nagisa called. His mom came out of her room, eyes wide in shock. "Nagisa..? You're okay?" she rushed over to him and gave him a bear hug. Compared to Karma's hug earlier, his mother's hug felt...cold. Not truly welcoming. He stood there stiffly until she let go. She gave him a big smile. "Oh Nagisa, I'm so glad your'e home. I got you a surprise," his mother hurried off to the closet. Nagisa sighed. He knew what was coming.

Soon, his mother came back with a long lilac colored dress with short sleeves, there was a light floral design on the skirt, decorated in little pearls. His mom took his pigtails out and brought him over to a mirror, holding it up and squealing softly. "Oh this dress is so beautiful with your flowing hair, Nagisa!"

_'I don't want to hear it...mom, please...I'm not a girl...'_

"Try it on, Nagisa!" his mom smiled. Nagisa got flashbacks of when he was at Karma's house, the knife-

Oh god his mother was going to see his cuts.

"I- I'm actually really tired right now, mom, can this wait?" he pleaded. His mom stared at him, eyes going dark. Nagisa tensed.  _'She's in one of her moods.'_ he stayed still and waited for it.

Sure enough, his mom grabbed him by his hair and began to shake him.

"Why is it you always say no to me, Nagisa?! Do you want to stress your mother off that much?! Make her think she raised a disobedient child?! I worked hard to raise you, Nagisa! You always take that for granted, you always run off with your friends and leaving all the cooking, cleaning, work, everything for me! Well where's my break?! If I want you to have what I couldn't have, you should be grateful! Who do you think you are to deny it?!"

"I'm sorry mom, I'm being selfish..."

His mom let go, panting, her face still red. Nagisa picked up the dress that his mother had dropped and walked to his room slowly with it.

Nagisa discarded the clothes Karma lent him, and slipped on the dress. His cuts were visible. He had to face her.

So he walked out, trembling. She turned to him, eyes lighting up. "Oh Nagisa, you look so beautiful!" she cooed, before her eyes trailed down to his arm. "What's this?" she grabbed his wrist and eyed his cuts. "You did these to yourself, didn't you, Nagisa?"

"I...yeah, I did..." No point in lying.

She glared at him, as if ready to go off. Nagisa slid from her grip and ran back to his room, throwing the dress off and getting his pajamas on.

He slid in bed and turned away from the door. He needed sleep, not his mother's scoldings.

~

The next day, Karma met up with Nagisa, Itona, and Asano in the alley by the hospital. It was dusk, perfect time for the Shiro imposer to attack. Karma wore gray pants, a white button up shirt, a long black jacket that fell to his kneecaps.

Asano wore a blue shirt and dark denim jeans. Karma idly wondered if he was cold.

Itona wore a red shirt with a white jacket and dark gray pants, a bandanna wrapped around his spiky hair.

And Nagisa wore the same long sleeved black shirt as yesterday, but over it had a yellow shirt on and a white short sleeved unbuttoned shirt, as well as midnight blue jeans. His hair was tied back into their usual pigtails. Seeing him in his shirt as well as his own clothes was too damn cute.

Karma shook his head. Not the time.

"So, what's the plan?" Karma asked Itona. Itona's intense stare bored right into Karma. "Since your friend isn't here, we'll use Nagisa as bait. He's already tried to kill him."

"But-!"

"And since he's an imposer, he won't know you," Asano said, motioning to Itona, who nodded. "And I doubt he's after the burnt tomato," Asano smirked lightly in Karma's direction.

"Shut up, carrot top."

Itona and Nagisa watched the exchange, both sweatdropping.

"Anyway...for the positions when the Shiro imposer attacks. Asano, take him from behind. Karma, take him from that tree," Itona pointed upwards and raised his eyebrows, "unless you have a problem with climbing trees."

"Course not."

"Good. When you have him pinned, I'll take the cloths off him. When we do that, Nagisa, you'll call the police," Itona finished. Nagisa smiled weakly. "It seems too simple to work," he said warily. Itona shrugged. "Well if they're imposing as a guy who's been dead for a year, clearly they aren't that smart."

Karma snorted at that.

"Anyway, it's time." Itona climbed the fence that separated the alley from the driveway of another building. Asano hid behind the dumpster, and Karma scaled the tree quickly.

Nagisa stood there, playing with the hem of his shirt, as if distracted.

Karma positioned himself above Nagisa, keeping an eye out for the Shiro imposer. A good twenty minutes passed, and sure enough, the Shiro imposer was walking over. Karma shook his head, vaguely wondering how he figured out where they'd be anyway.

From his spot, he saw Nagisa look up. "Oh it's you, did you want a rematch? Or are you scared to lose?" he taunted.

_'What the hell is he doing?!'_

He glanced over at Itona, who was watching with his usual intense stare. Itona then met his gaze and shook his head, as if he knew Karma was about two seconds from jumping in to join. Karma bit his tongue and looked down, ready to jump down when the time was right.

'Shiro' walked over, holding a knife.

"Then again, killing a kid is pretty cruel. Why are you doing this, Shiro?" Nagisa backed away. He was giving Karma an opening to drop down when 'Shiro' got closer, Karma realized. 'Shiro' suddenly raised the knife and ran at Nagisa, who jumped and fell back in shock. Now was the time.

Karma leaped from the tree, landing directly in front of 'Shiro'. He smacked the knife out of his hand, surprised to hear a girlish whimper. He ignored that and grabbed the shirt of their cloth, punching them.

Asano ran from his spot as they fell back. He wrapped his arms under their armpits, preventing them from moving their arms. Karma held their knees down, when they wouldn't stop squirming, he slammed their knee down harshly, making them gasp out.

Itona jumped down from his spot, staring down at 'Shiro'. "You really are foolish. Posing as a man who's been dead for a year. Attacking with a knife. You truly don't know anything about the real Shiro. So let's see who you really are."

Karma glanced back at Nagisa, who was standing up and walking over, phone in hand, and already dialing the police.

All teens attention was on 'Shiro' as Itona removed the cloth. Karma and Asano jerked in surprise, and Itona blinked. Karma heard Nagisa drop his phone and glanced back at him, seeing shock, horror, disbelief, and betrayal written all over his face.

"Mom?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that happened. 0w0 did I shock anyone at all? I hope I wasn't obvious?


	19. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atsuo thinks back.  
> Nagisa learns the truth.  
> Karma comforts Nagisa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! After lots of thinking, I have decided there will be exactly 20 chapters!! I'm so excited for this! Explaining the ending to my friend has gotten me all excited!! :D since I'm certain that the 20th won't be long, I decided to do a time skip at the end, as it's in-chapter epilogue. You'll have to see how that pans out~ I SHALL FIGHT OFF SLEEP AND THIS GODFORSAKEN HEADACHE TO GET THIS DONE!!! Check back frequently! I may have the final chapter out today as well! :D ...I still want comments on this chapter though -3- Without comments, I lose interest in my story because feedback is important to a writer!!! So, really, nyall have been keeping this story going!!!

 

Atsuo leans back in his cell, clad in all orange clothing. He chewed on his bottom lip. Being in prison wasn't so bad. It wasn't pleasant, but he figured he deserved it. He didn't doubt that Hideki, Mantaro, or Bunji would've thought so too. Many times, they have discussed what it'd be like if they were in prison. And after their first kidnapping, they felt the urge to run and turn themselves in. Takaoka had them on a leash, however. If they fled, more people would be put in their position. And they didn't want that to happen. No one should have this sort of burden on their shoulders.

He closed his eyes. It was Nagisa Shiota who helped him escape. Sure, Hideki and the others were killed in the process, but, Atsuo knew they died without any regrets. Atsuo knew he would be thinking of them, for the rest of his life. About how Takaoka had ruined it. Was his mom worried? Probably not. His dad? Definitely not.

His mom was a drunk, and his dad always had the highest expectations. And the night he was taken away, he and his dad fought, and it ended in his dad disowning him. He'd moved in with Hideki, and they decided that seeing a movie he was dying to see for months would be a great way to help cheer him up.

So, in a way, it was his dad's fault. If his dad didn't have those high expectations, he wouldn't have been grilling Atsuo's ass. Wouldn't have disowned him. Then he wouldn't have gone to Hideki's. And they wouldn't have gone to the movies, which resulted in them being kidnapped.

The Butterfly Effect really exists, huh?

His mind traveled back to when they were assigned to kidnap Nagisa Shiota.

-

_"Boys, I have your next target," Takaoka announced, barging in. They'd gotten used to that. Bunji looked up tiredly. "Sir, with all due respect, we just got back two days ago. We're exhausted. Could you at least give us a couple days to rest?" he asked. Takaoka snorted. "Normally I wouldn't care, but we got our first paid client."_

_"What? Who would pay for someone to get kidnapped?!" Hideki jumped up in alarm._

_"I was asked to keep it secret, so that's what I'll do. All I know is that they want him to be broken so he'll listen to every word they say. Even sent a picture of the little brat. Here. His name is Nagisa Shiota." Takaoka tossed a photo at them._

_Hideki caught it and all four of them looked at it._

_In the picture was a boy in a white shirt, dark blue vest, a tie, and gray pants. His blue hair was tied up in pigtails. He was staring at the camera with a big smile on his face, his eyes alight with joy. Atsuo shared an uncomfortable look with the others. They were going to break such an innocent boy, who honestly looked like he was in junior high._

_"Go out. Now, it's going to be dark soon."_

_"How do you know he'll be out and about?" Bunji asked. Takaoka smirked. "Secret."_

_The four boys shuddered and left quickly._

_When they arrived at the spot, supposedly near Nagisa's house, waiting for the right moment. Thankfully, Nagisa came around a corner, a small smile was playing at his lips. He looked exactly like he did in the picture, except for his clothes. He had a duffel bag, and a tray of, what Atsuo presumed to be, strawberry tarts, or cupcakes._

_As he passed by, Hideko, Mantaro, and Bunji came out of their hiding spot with a smirk. A smirk he easily saw through. They didn't want this._

_"Look what we have here, boys. A little beta bitch," Hideki mocked. Atsuo winced. He always forgot how cruel acting could be. The sneer didn't fit him at all._

_"She's a real cutie," Mantaro added with a sleazy smile. Going for the gender appearance. Atsuo could tell from Nagisa's face that that'd been a low blow._

_"I...I'm not a she! I'm a boy!" Nagisa said with a defiant look in his eyes. Atsuo was surprised at his sassy tone. But, again, he saw right through it. He was scared. Made sense, after all._

_Hideki, Mantaro and Bunji shared a look of feigned surprise and laughed._

_"Who would've thought? You look like such a fuckable bitch I couldn't tell!" Hideki smirked. The cruelty didn't match Hideki's personality. Atsuo wanted it all to stop. He didn't want this. Nagisa didn't deserve this. Whoever paid for Nagisa to get kidnapped was a sick fuck. And he knew Hideki, Mantaro, and Bunji all felt the same. But they had to keep the mask of taking pleasure in doing this._

_Mantaro strolled up to him, leaning in. "Whatcha got there, cutie?"_

_"It's none of your business!" There it was again. That defiant tone. Now was Atsuo's chance to jump in. He caught Nagisa from behind and faked a smirk. "Oh, but it is," it was sick. All of this was sick. He felt like a junior high kid picking on a primary school kid. Nagisa was so tiny. Barely reached his ribcage._

_"Stop! Let go!" Nagisa suddenly threw his head back, slamming into his ribs. Atsuo dropped him in shock and pain. The only thought on his mind was 'a beta hit an alpha, this is unacceptable'. His anger got the best of him._

_"You little brat!"_

_Nagisa ran._

_"Don't let him get away!" Hideki shouted, sounding panicked. If he got away, who knows what Takaoka would do to them, none of them wanted to think about it. Turning Nagisa in was their only hope of escaping with all their limbs in tact._

_Bunji, being the fastest runner, managed to tackle him before he rounded another corner. He dragged him back, away from witnesses. The attack had Atsuo himself wincing. He'd definitely feel that later. Bunji flipped him over, and both Atsuo and Mantaro held him down, biting their tongues at Nagisa's loud screaming. After that tackle, Atsuo was surprised (and honestly impressed) to see he was able to scream._

_"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! KARMA!"_

_Who was Karma? His alpha?_

_"Shut him up, for fucks sake!" Bunji snapped. Hideki walked over. "You're a stubborn piece of shit. I like that. But I'm afraid you've really pissed me off," he punched Nagisa. Atsuo could already see his eye swelling up._

_"KARMAAAAA! HELP ME! PLEASE!" Tears welled up in the tiny boy's eyes. Hideki slammed his elbow on his gut and held a knife to his throat. "If you yell one more fucking time, I'll slit your throat," he threatened. Even though Atsuo knew it was a bluff, he still felt a spike of fear. Nagisa grew quiet as well. Hideki then slammed the cloth of chloroform to his face. After minutes of struggling, Nagisa went limp. They all let go._

_"So, we did it?" Bunji asked tiredly. Atsuo nodded and winced at the pain in his ribs. "Hey, Atsuo, you okay?" Mantaro asked, brows furrowed in concern. Atsuo only nodded again. Hideki threw Nagisa over his shoulder._

_"Come on. Let's go."_

_-_

What have they done? How was Nagisa coping? He had Karma's help, but Atsuo knew he'd be mentally traumatized for the rest of his life.

He deserved everything that was coming to him.

~

"Mom?" Nagisa was....well, he was a whirlwind of emotions. Shock, betrayal, hurt, horror. "This is your mom?" Itona rose his eyebrows and looked at her. "She doesn't look like much."

"How dare you speak to me like that! I'll kill all of you!"

"Mom...why?" Nagisa's eyes filled with tears. "Why did...why would..." tears fell down his face, his voice was cracking. He sank to his knees and let out a small, choked sob. Earlier, he'd been defending her. Saying he loved her. He always withstood her, despite the fact she hurt him. So why did this hurt so much?

Thankfully, Karma stepped in. "Why the fuck would you try to get your own child killed?! Why would you pay off Takaoka to break him?! He's your son!"

"He's not my son! He's a monster! He shouldn't have been born! He's nothing but a disappointment! He wasn't a girl, he wasn't an omega! I figured if Takaoka changed him we could have him shaped up to be my ideal!"

"You're fucking insane!"

"Insane?! For wanting a perfect child?! Ha!"

"How did you even know about Takaoka?" Itona asked calmly. He was shocked that such a horrible woman was really Nagisa's mom. But, he kept his composure. She shot him a wild smirk. "We were friends back in high school. He was always interested in the military, and when he came back from war years later, he was talking about how to make money and got excited about the idea of turning betas into omegas. So when I heard of what he was doing, and figured out it was him, I called him up to take away Nagisa."

"You're disgusting," Asano spat. Even his own father wouldn't be that cruel. Sure, he smacked him around at times, but he'd never...

"Mom...why...I thought...I thought you accepted me," Nagisa choked out, feeling more alone than ever. His mother only laughed. "Accepted you? A child of disappointment?! Please! As if! I was planning on disowning you the moment you graduated high school!"

This brought more tears to his eyes. He was never wanted. He was a doll for her for all these years, but he himself wasn't wanted.

"That's ENOUGH!" Karma's voice boomed, scaring everyone, even Hiromi herself stilled.

Nagisa took a glance at Karma's face, his tears still falling down his face. Karma's eyes were shadowed by his red bangs, his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white, his sharp teeth were gritted and chattering, as if he was cold, and he was trembling. Nagisa knew Karma was  _beyond_ pissed.

"How...dare you," even Karma's voice was different. As if his anger snapped and took over his entire body. Hiromi's eyes widened in fear as he yanked her closer, surprising Asano, but he didn't let go. He didn't even scold Karma. He just watched, his violet eyes wide with interest and...sadness?

"How dare you call yourself an alpha mother! You have a fucking amazing son! He does everything for you! He defends you even when your worthless ass doesn't deserve it! I've considered beating you within an inch of your life, and who talks me out of it?! Nagisa did! He always defended you, even if I called you a bitch! He needs protection and love, and your stupidass just thinks that he doesn't!! Because he wasn't a child you wanted?! Is that an excuse to hurt him?! I should've killed your ass long ago! You abusive sick, twisted, bitch!"

"Why do you care? Look at him now! He's crying like a spoiled little child!" Hiromi said in disgust.

"What other reaction should he have?! He found out his own mother tried to kill him! Twice! Why is that, hm?"

"He wasn't turned into an omega. He doesn't deserve to live!" Hiromi shouted. Finally, Nagisa found his voice. "Mom, it's because of you I didn't turn into an omega. All these years, you've trained my body to become immune to drugs and poisons. If you hadn't done that, I'd be an omega by now."

Her face twisted into rage, her own face was red with veins popping out.

"Nagisa, call the police," Itona said, turning to him. Hiromi cackled. "You think he has the guts to call the police on his own mother?!"

"Nagisa please, do what needs to be done," Karma said without turning to him. His voice, while still pissed, had softened up a little bit. "Put an end to this," Asano added. Nagisa stared at them, his hand slowly picking up his phone. His phone was still on, still dialed in for the police. He pressed call. When someone answered, he explained everything.

Pretty soon, the police came and arrested Hiromi, who was screeching and trying to fight off the police, swearing to kill them all.

It was quiet in the alley. Karma stood off to the side, breathing in and out clenching and unclenching his fists. Itona stood there, as if unsure what to do.

To Nagisa's surprise, Asano approached him. "Are you doing okay?" he asked, looking away, as if embarrassed or ashamed to ask. "A-as okay as I can be," Nagisa smiled weakly. Asano only nodded and walked away. "I should be going now. I'll write a report about this."

"I should be going too," Itona said, following Asano away from the alley.

Nagisa and Karma were left alone. Nagisa looked down. "Karma...I want to...I want to thank you. I'm going home now, okay?" Karma looked up, he'd calmed down considerably, but it was clear he was still in a bad mood. Before he could answer, Nagisa took off running.

When he got home, he ran to the bathroom, and promptly threw up.

He retched his guts out. Or, it felt like it anyway. When he finished, he rinsed his mouth out and sat in his room, staring at the wall. He reached for his knife that he'd left in his pants on the night he was kidnapped. He moved the sleeve on his uninjured arm, tears falling down his face again.

And he brought the knife down.

~

Karma hadn't meant to scare off Nagisa. He was just pissed. At everything Hiromi had said. The look on Nagisa's face would forever haunt him. He'd do anything to get that look out of his mind. So hurt, horrified, shocked, betrayed, tears falling down his face, his cracked voice, his sobs, all still echoed in his head. When Karma finally calmed down, he jolted. He couldn't leave Nagisa alone. He was too shattered, he was in shock.

Karma ran to his house and arrived within minutes. He knocked on the door rapidly. No answer. He saw Nagisa's light on, so he knew he was home. Karma swore and took out the spare key that Nagisa had given him years ago.

He unlocked the door and went in, hurrying to Nagisa's room. He slammed open the door and his breath hitched. Nagisa was hurting himself, again. Only, this time, Karma saw little words carved on his arm.

"NAGISA!" Karma was at his side in an instant, grabbing the knife and throwing it aside. He seemed to be doing that allot nowadays.

Karma gripped his arm and looked at it, checking to see if the cuts were serious. He trembled, not liking what Nagisa carved into himself.

_Worthless. Unwanted. Spoiled. Useless. Crybaby. Unloved._

Karma suddenly brought Nagisa, who'd been silently crying, into a hug. The most comforting hug he could possibly manage. He felt Nagisa stiffen, then relax. Karma had one arm around Nagisa's waist, and his other hand was on the back of Nagisa's head. Nagisa was shaking, his face buried in Karma's chest. Karma could feel Nagisa's tears soaking through his shirt. He didn't care. He wanted Nagisa to be okay.

Nagisa let out a sob, and suddenly, he was bawling, full on sobbing and wailing, clutching Karma as if he was his lifeline.

Karma felt his heart break and he tightened his grip. "You're fine, Nagisa. You'll be fine," he murmured, closing his eyes. Nagisa didn't stop crying for two straight hours. Karma didn't move an inch in those hours.

Nagisa ended up crying himself to sleep. Karma set him down, deciding to clean up his cuts and wrap them up again. So he did.

However, just as he finished wrapping up Nagisa's arm, there was a knock at the door. Not wanting to disturb Nagisa, he quickly hurried over to answer it. He opened it, eyebrows raised at the sight of a middle aged beta man with dark gray hair. The man looked up, blinking, as if he hadn't expected anyone other than Nagisa to open the door. "Um...is Nagisa home?" he asked. Karma's eyes narrowed. "Depends on who's asking," he replied coldly.

The man jumped, intimidated. "Forgive my rudeness. My name is Akihiro Shiota. I'm Nagisa's dad," he said. Karma still didn't budge. He didn't like this man. He abandoned Nagisa and left him to his mother. "Congratulations. I'll take your message to him," Karma said in a clipped tone. Akihiro shook his head.

"No, I've come to take my son back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *coughs* Nagisa's dad was never given a name, so I had a friend help me come up with one. I think it has a nice ring to it. Also woooah! 2.7k words! Be proud of me please uwu


	20. End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes down to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Warning: It's like, 5.1k words. I worked on it all day (I kept getting distracted) and 5.1k words isn't enough for 5 chapters. I can't stand fics that don't end with a 0 or a 5. Besides, it works better this way, it makes it feel more...official. Long wait for this chapter, but hopefully worth it. <3

 

"Hold on, you're not taking him anywhere with you," Karma said sternly. Akihiro's eyes narrowed. "Look pal, I don't wanna have to hurt you-"

"You? Hurt me?" Karma stood at full height, making the other man flinch slightly. Karma was only a couple inches taller than him, but as an alpha, he knew he was automatically a bit scarier. Akihiro stood firmly where he was. "I'm his father, I have rights-"

"You left him years ago, you lost those rights when you abandoned him!" Karma snapped.

Akihiro now looked annoyed. "If you don't hand my son over, I  _will_ take this to court. And since you're...what, sixteen? Seventeen? There's no way you'll win custody over him."

"So you're willing to take a teenager to court over a son who you abandoned in the hands of an abusive bitch? Who do you think has been there for him, through all that abuse, through what he's been dealing with. When was the last time you even  _spoke_ to him?" Karma glared. Akihiro faltered for a moment and turned away. "It's been a couple years now, but now I can make amends!"

"Make amends? What, now that your psycho ex-wife is gone, you think you can just swoop back into his life and take him in again? Sorry, but it doesn't work like that," Karma crossed his arms. Akihiro clenched his fists. "Buddy, you're about two seconds from really making me mad," he said in his most threatening tone. Karma scoffed. " _Buddy, you're about two seconds from really makin me mad,_ " he mocked, exaggerating his tone into a more southern hillbilly way. Nagisa wouldn't be happy if Karma punched the fucker, so this was his best  _fuck you and fuck off_ thing he can do without getting physical.

"Don't you mock me!"

" _Don't you mock me._ "

Akihiro turned red in the face and turned on his heel, storming off, phone in hand. Karma stepped out, smirking and calling after him.

" _You an your buddies best stay away from Nagisa if ya know what's good for yall,_ " he snickered. He loved changing his accent to mock others. Maybe he should do it more often.

He stepped back inside and closed the door with a sigh. How would he tell-?

"Karma?"

Karma jerked slightly, looking up to see a sleepy Nagisa, rubbing his eyes with his sleeves. His face had dry tear stains on them and his hair was down and messy. "Who was at the door?" he mumbled. Karma sighed and walked over to him, steering him to the couch to talk.

"It was your dad," Karma said upfront. Nagisa's eyes widened in shock and...fear? "You sent him away, right? Karma, please don't make me stay with him!" Nagisa gripped Karma's shirt tightly. "Woah, calm down. Yes, I sent him away. Does he hurt you too?" Karma asked, eyes going cold. Nagisa shook his head.

"No, he's just...he isn't supportive. He's distant. It's unsettling, I can't live with someone when I feel like they're gonna stab me in my sleep," Nagisa muttered. Karma wrapped his arms around the small boy. "Don't worry about it. He claims he'll be taking this to court, they'll probably be addressing this when we testify against Hiromi. But I promise you, he won't win," he soothed. Nagisa nodded and curled into a little ball in Karma's lap. Before Karma could even open his mouth, Nagisa spoke, his words were abit muffled because of his face being buried in Karma's chest.

"Can we just stay here like this, Karma? Please?"

"...Yeah."

Both of them soon drifted off.

~

Days have passed since Akihiro came by, in those days, Karma would talk on the phone frequently, and Nagisa could only guess he was making arrangements with court. He had no idea how to do this type of stuff, but Karma assured him that he'd have it taken care of.

In the mean time, Nagisa left to go visit Atsuo in jail.

After being patted down and making sure his phone was off, he was escorted to a room. Atsuo came out in cuffs. The officer on the opposite side removed them before he sat on the other side of the glass. Nagisa picked up the phone hanging on the wall, and Atsuo did the same.

"Hey Atsuo," Nagisa said quietly into the phone. Atsuo gave him a small smile. "Hey Nagisa. Did you ever catch the mystery guy?" he asked. Nagsia nodded. "Yeah. Turns out it was my mom, she wanted me gone all along," Nagisa said sadly. Atsuo's face dropped to sympathy. "Oh. I'm so sorry. Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah. Karma's been at my place ever since the incident. He's been really helpful, I...I couldn't be anymore grateful to him. Or you. Without you, I'd be dead, Atsuo. So, thank you," Nagisa smiled. Atsuo blinked in surprise but gave an awkward smile. "Ah...no problem," he said. Nagisa relaxed. "So, how've you been?" he asked.

"Well, gotta say, it's not that bad. I mean, it's probably because I'm being cooperative, but I know I belong here, so no point in fighting it," he shrugged. Nagisa sighed. "Then you'll be at the hearing in a couple weeks, right? You'll testify against my mother?"

"I'll give them everything I know, so, yes."

"That's good. I'll try to get you out of here, Atsuo. I promise."

"No, Nagisa, I really shouldn't-" he shook his head. Nagisa pouted. "You've helped me, so let me help you," he said. Atsuo kept shaking his head before his eyes widened. "I forgot to ask, but how's Kayano doing?" he asked. Nagisa tilted his head to the side. "She's going fine. She said she was hoping to bring you some pudding but..."

Atsuo chuckled lightly. "Kinda impossible at this point," he said. Nagisa nodded and suddenly looked down. "Um...how are you holding up? i mean, now that you're not busy, do you...do you think about them? Hideki, Mantaro and Bunji, I mean?" he looked back up hesitantly at Atsuo, who now had a pained smile on his face. "All the time."

"I see...I'm sor-"

"Don't apologize. We made this choice. We knew the risks. We know we could've escaped without you. We did it all anyway. And it's working out, isn't it?" he rose his eyebrows. Nagisa shifted. "Well, yeah, but still..." he mumbled. Atsuo closed his eyes. "Hey, it's fine, really. Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'll see you in a couple weeks, at the hearing."

"Wait! Atsu-!"

The line went dead. Atsuo grimaced and hung the phone up and stood, giving Nagisa a wave. He let the officer slap the cuffs back on him and escort him back.

Nagisa sat there for a minute before slowly standing up and walking out of the station.

When he got back to his apartment, he sat down at the kitchen table, watching Karma pace back and forth, muttering to himself. Nagisa, not wanting to disturb him, let his eyes trail around the kitchen, his eyes landing on the calendar. He stared at it, blinking. "Karma, what day is it?"

"Hm?"

"What day is it?"

"Uh, I think it's December 24th."

"...Shit." Nagisa leaped back up and ran out the door, ignoring Karma's confused calls. Tomorrow was Karma's birthday and it totally slipped his mind. He had to get him something nice.

~

Karma stared after him and shook his head. Why was he in a rush? Oh well, he had to think. He could testify easily against Nagisa's mom, and he's been on the phone with Kaede, Kanzaki, Nakamura, Okuda, Isogai and Maehara all morning discussing what would be said.

But the real challenge was for him and Nagisa. How they were going to beat his dad for custody. There was no evidence of physical abuse, no proof that Nagisa was ever psychologically traumatized, nothing. Karma sighed in utter frustration. He had weeks to figure this out. How could he beat Nagisa's dad? He was right. He was only sixteen. No way he could get custody of Nagisa. There had to be a way. Nagisa didn't want to live with his good for nothing dad, and dammit, Karma was determined to make Nagisa's life as easy as possible.

Karma sat there for what felt like forever, until he heard the door open and slam closed. He looked up, blinking in surprise. Nagisa had a bag in his hand. Karma rose an eyebrow. "Nagisa?"

"Ack!" Nagisa fumbled, struggling not to drop it. Unfortunately, Nagisa was the King of Clumsiness. Karma rushed to his side, covering his mouth, trying his best not to crack up until he was sure Nagisa was okay. He was.

So Karma let out a loud laugh.

Nagisa huffed, his face bright red. When Karma calmed down, he saw something that fell from his bag, but Nagisa didn't seem to care. He just looked at Karma from the corner of his eye, mumbling. "Well, you saw it, go ahead and look at it."

Now confused, Karma picked up a little box. It was long and bitch black with a silver design on it. He opened it, his eyes widening in surprise.

There was a golden locket in the box, and on it, there was a little heart with rubies decorated at its rims until it reached the middle, where one lone diamond stayed. 

"I- Nagisa," Karma looked up at him, but Nagisa wasn't meeting his gaze. He was looking off to the side with puffed cheeks and a red face. "It was for your birthday tomorrow," he mumbled, "my mom left her debit card here. I figured this is the best I can-"

"I love it."

Nagisa looked up, opening his mouth to respond, he shut it immediately when he saw Karma lean over and give him a kiss on the forehead. Nagisa stared at him, wide eyed and blushing madly. Karma grinned. "So, what made you decide a locket, rather than your usual sonic ninja merchandise?" Nagisa's face only flushed more. "Well...it's just...there was no more...so I thought...you know..." he fumbled. Karma snickered and clasped it around his neck. It was abit girlish, but it was from Nagisa. He'd wear it every day.

"Thank you."

~

Days passed, a New Year begun, and the hearing was in the afternoon. And to say Nagisa was nervous would be an understatement. He was about to speak to people about his mother's abuse, about his mother trying to kill him twice. He wasn't sure if he could handle it.

Both Nagisa and Karma were wearing plain clothes. Karma wore a midnight blue long sleeved shirt and black pants as well as his long black coat, and of course, the necklace that Nagisa gave to him. Nagisa wore an olive green long sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans, his hair was in its usual pigtails.

"And now we will hear Nagisa Shiota..."

Nagisa tensed. Karma gave his hand a squeeze, and watched as Nagisa made his way up front, swearing to tell the truth, all that kind of stuff. He sat down where he was supposed to and stared at everyone, shifting around nervously.

"So will you explain what Mrs. Shiota has done to you over the years, Nagisa Shiota?"

"Y-yeah. All my life, my mom has used me as a doll. She wanted a girl, but got me. Then she hoped I'd be an omega, but I turned out to be a beta. She wasn't too physical with me. It was the occasional hair grab and throw to the wall kinda thing. I mean, sure, she's left bruises on my wrists and arms before, but that's really the extent of it. But then last month, she hired Takaoka, the man who ordered all of the omega and beta kidnappings, to kidnap me and turn me into an omega. When that failed, when I was in the hospital, she came in dressed as the former serial killer, Shiro."

The crowd murmured in concern and disgust.

"Later on, Karma Akabane, Itona Horibe, and Gakushu Asano helped me catch my mother disguised as Shiro, who tried to kill me again. After that I called the police."

"Thank you, now we will-" the judge began.

"Wait!" Nagisa stood up, surprising everyone in the courtroom. "I mean, I have a request! Please, when Atsuo Murata is done with his hearing, don't...don't go hard on him, he was a victim just as much as me..."

Silence.

"We'll see. Go back to your seat now, Mr. Shiota."

"Yessir."

The long process continued, with Karma explaining his side.

"He was gonna come over to my place. He was taking so long, so I went to his house and found he was already missing. So I got Kaede Kayano, Rio Nakumura, Yukiko Kanzaki, Manami Okuda, Yuma Isogai, and Hiroto Maehara to help me search for him."

Kaede was next.

"I got a call from Karma near midnight saying Nagisa was kidnapped, and he needed my help. I called the others and we all separated."

Nakumura was next.

"I was asleep when I was texted that I needed to meet up at Kayano's house. When I got there and heard Nagisa was kidnapped, I was shocked and...I was really scared for him. We all agreed to try to find him."

Kanzaki.

"Kayano is my girlfriend. So when she called, of course I was gonna come help her. When it was explained Nagisa was gone, I felt a huge urge to protect Kayano, and couldn't imagine the pain Karma was going through."

Isogai.

"Karma called me and told us to meet at Kayano's, he said it was an emergency. He even offered to pay me to help him. He sounded so terrified that I had to come. Finding out that Nagisa was kidnapped tore me up. I found myself getting scared too."

Maehara.

"I was with Isogai when he got the call, he wanted to go alone at first, but then Karma called and asked me to help too. So we both met up at Kayano's to find out what was up, and man, I felt like I crapped myself when I found out he was kidnapped."

Okuda.

"We all investigated the area he was kidnapped and I came up with three places to look. Karma and Kayano were the ones who ended up finding Nagisa and Atsuo. We just stayed in the hospital waiting room until we were forced to go home."

...

It was a long, grueling process. All of their stories were more or less the same, just told in different perspectives. One thing they all had in common was how worried they had been over Nagisa, which honestly surprised him. People cared...he looked over at Karma, who was focused ahead, his golden eyes deep in thought. Nagisa turned back to look ahead and bit his tongue to avoid sighing. They'd been there for hours. When they called for Atsuo to come up, Nagisa listened carefully.

Atsuo explained the exact same thing he told Nagisa back in that cell. Adding on his friends deaths, Takaoka's death, being in the hospital, Nagisa's mother attacking but him thinking it was Shiro.

It was past 11pm when they finally finished for the day, and they were all to come back in two days.

Nagisa left with Karma, holding his hand. He looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. "That took longer than I thought it would," he said. Karma nodded, his attention finally present. Kaede, Kanzaki, Nakamura, Okuda, Isogai and Maehara was suddenly there, giving them both bear hugs.

"Ack! N-Nakamura you're squeezing me too hard!"

"Jeez, guys, I know I'm irresistible but damn, hands to yourself. I'm only gay for one person," he winked in Nagisa's direction. Nagisa's eyes widened and he felt his heart ache. "What? Who?" he asked.

It was dead silent before Maehara suddenly smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Nagisa cried. "Did it jostle your brain enough to realize Karma's feelings?" Maehara asked bluntly. Nagisa stared in confusion. Nakamura sighed. "Come on, guys, let's let these two talk. We want details later, Karma," she winked and they each hurried off. Nagisa turned to Karma. "Karma? What was that about? What'd they mean?" he asked.

Karma sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, this isn't exactly an ideal time or way to confess, but it's better now than never. Nagisa. You're my best friend, and..." he seemed to fumble with his words. Nagisa only stared at him in wonder. He heard Karma mutter "fuck it" and leaned over, smashing their lips together.

~

Karma Akabane was one of those people who believed actions spoke louder than words. Which was always a good thing to believe in when you don't know how to confess to your  _oblivious as fuck_ crush. So he gathered up his strength and kissed him.

He felt Nagisa go still once their lips made contact. Moments later, he felt Nagisa's arms snake around his neck and stood on his tiptoes. Karma smiled through the kiss, but didn't do much more. He pulled away enough to give them air, straightening up a little bit to have less strain on his back. He would've stood upright, but that was hard to do when you have a tiny beta clinging to your neck. Not that Karma minded.

"Y-you like me?" Nagisa stuttered, as if in disbelief.

Karma snorted. "If you still find it hard to believe, I'll have to start wondering how you're this oblivious. Don't give me that look, you look like mouse trap."

"D-did you just say I looked like a trap?"

"Maybe I did."

Nagisa let out a breathy laugh, and Karma closed his eyes, a smile threatening to break across his face. He leaned over and kissed Nagisa again. Moments after they started getting into the kiss, wrapping themselves around eachother, they heard a gasp.

Karma pulled away and stood upright, removing Nagisa's hands from his neck. He turned to the source of the gasp. It was Akihiro Shiota, who looked downright horrified. He took off running. "What was that about?" Nagisa mumbled, brows furrowed. Karma shrugged, turning back to Nagisa with a soft smile. "Lets go out tonight. There's a cafe that's open twenty four hours a day, they're pretty good."

~

Two days flew by, two days of cudding Karma and forgetting his worries of court.

When they arrived, they were pleased to know that Hiromi Shiota was sentenced to eighty years in prison. But when Nagisa asked about Atsuo, he was given orders to talk to the police about it. They all had a reasonable solution, but needed the Officer's signature for proof he wasn't acting up in jail.

So they visited Atsuo. Nagisa sat at the chair and put the phone to ear as Atsuo came in, uncuffed.

"So? What'd they tell you? What's going on?" Nagisa asked excitedly. Atsuo smiled. Like, really smiled. "They took into account of my life being on the line and the fact I helped you. I can't get away unpunished however, so I'll be here for until Sunday, then they're gonna put me in five years of psychiatric care."

"Really? Only five years?" Nagisa's eyes widened.

Atsuo nodded. "And if that's gonna help me, then I'm more than happy. I'm sure talking out my problems will be better than staying in a cell, imagining all the possibilities, all the outcomes."

"Yeah! That's great!"

Karma held his hand out for the phone. Nagisa hurried on. "Well, Karma's gonna talk to you now. I'll see you later, Atsuo," he handed the phone to Karma as Atsuo waved. Karma took the phone and sat in the chair. Nagisa took a step back.

Nagisa saw Atsuo's mouth move, and Karma responded. "Yeah, long time no see. I just wanna thank you again for helping Nagisa. And uh, sorry for um...hitting you."

Atsuo laughed and said something.

Karma cracked a smile. "Yeah, you did. Have you heard the news though? Nagisa's mom is in jail for eighty years. The hag will be dead before she gets out. And now his dad is trying to get custody of him. That court will be held in a month."

Atsuo's brows furrowed in concern and spoke again. Karma shook his head. "No, his dad is just abit of a prick."

Atsuo looked relieved, then seemed to ask another question. Karma nodded, his smile widening. "Yep. He's my beta now," he sent Nagisa a smirk. Nagisa felt himself blush. Atsuo's face lit up and he began talking animatedly. Karma listened and his eyes suddenly widened, jaw going slightly slack. Nagisa sent him a concerned look. "Karma? Are you okay?"

Karma leaped up, phone still to his ear. "Atsuo, you're a freaking genius!"

Atsuo grinned and said something else, before Karma's face fell. "Line went dead. Guess our time is up," Karma muttered. Atsuo and Karma both hung up and waved.

As Nagisa and Karma left, Nagisa repeatedly glanced at him, sitting in the passenger seat of Karma's red truck. "So, what'd he say that got you in such a good mood?" he questioned. Karma sent him his famous grin. "Mr. Atsuo seemed to have been holding back on us. He studied for law school before he was taken. I now possess full knowledge on how to guarantee get custody over you."

"What? Really?! How?!" Nagisa asked.

"You'll see."

"Aww! You're gonna hold out on me for an entire month?! Just giggling and smirking to yourself?"

"Mhm."

"Jerk!"

Karma snickered. "As if I hadn't heard that one before."

~

A month came and went, and it was only a day before the battle for custody over Nagisa. Before, Karma used to be anxious. Now, he was looking forward to it. He even declared a celebratory dinner the night before the hearing. Yes, he was  _that confident._

Kaede, Kanzaki, Nakamura, Okuda, Maehara, and Isogai all showed up, as well as a few of their other friends, such as Sugino, Hinano, Toka, and Kataoka. A table for twelve was large, indeed, and Nagisa felt bad for the waiter who got stuck with them.

On one side, from left to right, sat Sugino, Toka, Kanzaki, Kaede, Nagisa, and then Karma.

On the other side, from left to right, was Maehara, Isogai, Hinano, Kataoka, Okuda, and then Nakamura. Karma was rather pleased he sat across his partner in crime. Nagisa, however, seemed terrified.

All of them ordered their drinks and their food, all talking to eachother, content. Nakamura leaned over the table, grinning at the two boys. "So, you're together now?" she cooed. "N-Nakamura!" Nagisa stammered.

"Yep. I stole his heart right from him," Karma grinned.

"Karma!"

"Are you sure it wasn't him who stole your heart?" Nakamura smirked.

Karma scowled. He was the teaser, not the teased.

Nagisa nudged Karm with his elbow. Nakamura pursed her lips and sighed. "Gotta admit, I'm disappointed you lied to me," she said. Seeing both boys confusion, she clarified, "About being gay. I mean, we have yet to prove Nagisa is a boy, right?"

"Oh no, he is, trust me," Karma got his devil grin on his face. Seeing this, Nakamura got her devil grin. "Oh? Where's your proof?" she asked. Karma leaned in, and she followed, whispering in her ear. Nakamura squealed loudly, making the  _entire restaurant_ pause and look over. She was jumping up and down. "YOU'VE TAKEN SHOWERS TOGETHER?! DID YOU LOSE YOUR VIRGINITY YET?" she screeched, eyes alight in happiness.

Karma snickered. "Not yet."

"Nakamura...you're drawing attention to us..." Nagisa slid down his chair and hid his face. Seeing this, Kaede stood up and shooed any onlookers back to their own business. "Thanks Kaede," Nagisa muttered.

Nakamura eyed Nagisa and Karma as she sat. "So, who's top and who's bottom?" she asked as if it was important. Nagisa sputtered and Karma only held his chin up high. "Who else? I'd top."

Nakamura seemed to mull it over for a second then nodded. "Yeah, I can't believe I asked that. As if Nagisa would top. He's too innocent to top and you're a kinky piece of shit. Plus you're way bigger. In more ways that one," she waggled her eyebrows.

"Nakamura!" Nagisa looked mortified.

The entire table laughed.

 _'This is nice,'_ Karma found himself thinking. He looked at Nagisa, who's face was still red and face seemingly permanently horrified. But he saw a light in his eyes. He was fine. And tomorrow, it'll be even better.

~

On the day of the hearing for his custody, Nagisa was nervous. Karma obviously wasn't. Nagisa had tried kissing it out of him, he'd tried grinding on him, but Karma had his mouth firmly shut and would always either kiss back with just as much passion, or grind on him even better and making him a panting and begging mess.

Damn him. Damn him for being so sexy.

Akihiro had a list of reasons why Nagisa should stay with him, his biggest being he was his father. But when Karma went up to speak, he held his head up high. He was looking down on Akihiro Shiota.

"Well your honor, I'd love to contradict everything this man has said. Nagisa himself has informed me being unsettled by him. Besides, a beta man looking after a beta son? What kind of world is this?" Many people looked annoyed at his smug tone and choice of words.

_'Karma, what the hell are you doing?'_

"A beta man who makes his traumatized kid uncomfortable at that. I mean, the man hasn't contacted him in years. He abandoned him, left him in the hands of an abusive mother. Would he really be fit to watch over him now?"

Unsure murmurs.

"Didn't think so. And besides, even though I'm seventeen, I've been living on my own for a good couple years now."

A lie. Karma has been alone nearly all his life. Not that he could tell them that without getting in trouble.

"If I can handle that, why wouldn't I be able to take care of _my beta_?"

It was dead silent.

"Yep. That's right. I'm a seventeen year old alpha who's been living on his own for years, and with that, and the fact that Nagisa is  _my beta,_ all rights typically belong to me. He'll be seventeen this year, and I'll be eighteen. There's no harm in that, is there? We've proven responsible these past few months. It'll be a giant sleepover until we're of age of marriage."

"That's true..." people muttered amongst themselves.

Akihiro paled.

The judge nodded. "Needless to say, there isn't much to decide. The jury already seemed to have a verdict. Nagisa Shiota, we hereby declare that you're now in custody of Karma Akabane."

Cheers erupted from the crowd, especially from all of Nagisa and Karma's friends.

Nagisa felt tears in his eyes. Joyous tears.

Karma stepped down from where he stood. Nagisa couldn't help himself. He ran to Karma's arms. Karma had seen him from the corner of his eye. He opened his arms as Nagisa leaped into them. The impact had Karma stumbling ever so slightly, but he turned the stumble into a spin. His lips captured Nagisa's.

Nagisa heard his friends squeal and scream encouragement as the crowd had various reactions.

Life was definitely looking up.

~

It's been five years since Karma had gotten custody over Nagisa. When Nagisa turned eighteen, the couple bought a nice house. Not too big, but not too small. That was all they needed. And now, Karma was twenty two, and Nagisa recently turned twenty one.

Nagisa had cut his hair, but kept his bangs. He barely grew a single centimeter in the years, much to Karma's amusement. Karma himself was now 6'1", making him a full eleven inches taller. Karma had also started sweeping his hair off to the side, which, according to Nagisa, looked hot as hell.

Because his ego needed that.

Karma waited for Nagisa to come home from work. He worked as a teacher in a high school, and Karma worked as a bureaucrat. He had time off allot, only going in when it was necessary. Which wasn't as often as he thought it would be.

Soon, Nagisa came home, sighing, his face flushed. Karma rose an eyebrow. "You okay?" he asked.

Nagisa nodded. "I'm just...embarrassed," he admitted. Karma smirked. "Why? Did your students try to make you try on a dress?" he teased. Nagisa's face scrunched up. "No, I suggested we have class outside today, and I ended up falling asleep outside."

Karma laughed.

"It's not funny! Just as I started earning their respect, this happens!" Nagisa protested, but he had a smile on his face.

"Ah, you'll be fine. Anyway, let's go out to eat. I'm hungry. My treat."

"Of course your treat. You've always had more money than me," Nagisa muttered good naturedly, "do I need to dress up this time?"

"Nope. What you're wearing is perfect."

So Karma drove Nagisa to a cafe they visited. The same cafe they went to after their first kiss. A nostalgic smile crossed Nagisa's face. "I remember this place," he said fondly. Karma nodded, feeling an unwelcome weight. Nevertheless, they both went inside, and got a table.

They ordered their drinks and food, chatting mindlessly, Karma didn't have much to say, but Nagisa apparently had allot to say about his students. Particularly about how they're dead set on trying to discover his 'true gender'. Apparently they thought Nagisa was a trap and now have trust issues. Karma saw why. Girlish facial features, long bangs, wide hips...

They continued chatting over dinner, and when they finished, Karma cleared his throat. "Can I have everyone's attention?" Karma called out. The music was turned down and everyone went silent, turning to them.

Nagisa's face went red. "Karma, why the attention?" he whispered.

Karma remained standing, motioning Nagisa to stand up as well. He hesitantly did. Karma took a deep, shuddering breath, his heart pounding.

"Nagisa, we've known eachother since our second year of junior high. I've sworn to always protect you, and even though I've failed many times, I never gave up on that promise. These past few years have been nice. Almost scarily nice. I want to make it official. I know this was short, but no words can come close to comprehending on how much I love you. So..." here it was. He slowly knelt on a single knee, trembling slightly as he took the weight from his pocket, holding out a sapphire colored ring. "Nagisa Shiota, will you please make me the happiest alpha on earth, and be my husband?"

The entire restaurant was staring, holding their breaths.

For a moment, Karma was scared. Scared he'll say no. Scared he'll say he wasn't ready. Scared that-

"Yes."

Karma looked at Nagisa again, who had tears falling down his face, a huge smile was spread across his face. "Just...oh my god, Karma, YES!"

Cheers erupted throughout the restaurant. Cheers and applause as Karma slid the ring on Nagisa's finger, relieved he'd gotten the right size.

Nagisa threw his arms around Karma, who was still knelt down. Life was perfect.

They officially have eachother for good.

Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy ends, happy ends~!  
> Thank you sooooo much for sticking through with this fic. I'm not a huge fan of it, but this is the first long fic I've finished. It's because of the comments and kudos I got, the endless support and wonder. That and I didn't have to really extend plots, like my other fics.  
> I'll be doing more Karmagisa fics. For more information, you can contact me on Quotev at @.GayCookieLover.  
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> Wowee..welp, comments are greatly appreciated!!!


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